Saul, For someone who said that they were just engaged in an unbiased debate to take our political figures to task, and that your intention is not personal attacks, l must say that your responses on this issue are approaching senility. Please do not attack me personally and pour insults and profanity on me, as we cannot afford another such presence on the L. l do not know Mr Sallah personally except for what l have been able to gather from the agenda of PDOIS, and from the writings of the gentleman himself. l am a Gambian who is poised on assesing those politicians who aspire to lead our nation, and then making an intelligent choice as to who l think is fit to even attempt to get the job. l believe that from what all of us have come to know of each other through this medium, including Mr Sallah himself, any intelligent person can decipher that l ma not made of the kind of stuff that lends blind support. Therein lies the difference between my self and those who lend support to a government that demonstrates on a daily basis that they do not have th interest of the Gambian people at heart. If my assessments led me to come to the conclusion that Halifa Sallah had engaged on activities that were not in the interest of the Gambian people, l think even he himself knows from what he can glimpse of my views that l will probably be the first person to be critical of this. However, Saul, you confuse me, and perhaps even yourself. if you are so bent on telling us that Halifa is not good enough and that this is why the people of Serekunda East have not voted for him in so many elections, what in the World were you doing encouraging your realtives to vote for him? It is very obvious to everyone that for you, this exchange between yourself and Halifa is very personal indeed, even though you interject statements to refute this everytime it is brought up. Saul, l am no hypocrite, but l am also not someone that will let anyone force any self serving interest down my throat, and the Gambian public is also fast approaching this same view. If expressing my opinion enrages you because you want to patrol this forum and force everyone o demonize Mr Sallah (yes, you say this is not your intention), then you are engaged in a futile exercise. l am entitled to my own opinion, and no amount of tongue lashing and verbal abuse directed at me will scare me to succumb to anyone else's opinion. l say, keep your opinion, and let those of us who dare to differ with you keep ours, and may the best man win at the ballot box. That is what is healthy, and nothing else. In my opinion, those who have done injustice to the Ceesay family are the ones who killed theor son, whoever they are.The government that also has done little or nothing to conduct a fully unbiased investigation share the blame equally. In terms of the '97 constitution, the government of the day are the ones who are misusing the constitution to their own advantage and are the ones denying the Gambian people their constitutional rights, and this very much includes the opposition parties. Therefore, l think that your attacks are mis-directed. If you want answers about the Koro Ceesay affair and the mis-use and abuse of the constitution, then you need to take up the issue with the government rather than those who intervened with the limited intervention they were allowed in order to salvage at least a portion of our democratic freedom. This is how some of us understand this whole affair based on what was presented here.A question l have been dying to ask you is this, was Mr sallah the sole author and ratifier of the "97 constitution? Would it have failed to be instituted if he had not compaigned for it? Are PDOIS and Foroyaa getting special treatment from the government under this constitution that is not being accorded to any other opposition party or Gambian? Are they the ones who are denying Gambians their constitutional rights under this regime? Now if you have a problem with the fact that some of us have assessed the presentd evidence and come to a conclusion that is different than that of yourself, you will just have to live with it, period. Again, please spare me your teeth-baring, threats , l am just expressing my opinion, and l am entitled to it. PS: Since you say your only intention is to look at our politicians critically, remember that when evidence is presented, each of us has to digest it and come to our own conclusions, or is it your quest to make sure that all of us come to the same conclusion you do? Further, in the interest of looking at all of our politicians critically, It is absolutely imperative that you have the next candidate lined up so as not to appear to be partial. There also, remember, each individual will have to make up their own mind as to what is the truth and what is personal agenda. Have a great Sunday. Jabou Joh Jabou, You've written quite a long piece, but you've SAID very little. Much of what you've said here is not in contention. But if you can tell the 150K residents of Serrekunda East that you know more than they do about what is good for them, you're great Jabou. They've rejected Halifa three times in a row despite the "great job" he's been doing. Remember, he's not doing that "great" job in Tennessee, he's doing it in Serrekunda. So, if you would use your common sense just a little bit, instead of engaging in petty hypocrisy, maybe you'll realize that something is amiss somewhere. I have never voted for Halifa or anyone else for that matter. But I did convince two of my sisters and their husbands to vote for him in '87. I campaigned for him in my own way in '92 as well. But I have a problem with Halifa's attitude since the coup - in both the Korro Ceesay case, and the '97 Constitution especially. In Korro's case, Halifa and Co had set a threshold at the onset of their investigation: locating an "eyewitness" to either the murder, or an accident. According to Halifa's own version, they did not locate neither. All they had were eyewitnesses who SAW Korro's car NEAR the bridge wall. And eyewitnesses who saw a DENT on the car. From what he said, their three reporters working the case did not even see the car themselves. They just relied on what "eyewitnesses" told them, and with only that, they erroneously concluded that Korro was killed in an accident! Everything that has been revealed since, point to something else. Halifa is yet to have the humility/magnanimity to print a retraction of that unfortunate story, or better yet -apologize for causing the Ceesay family further pain at a time when they least needed it. How is anyone sullying Halifa's name/image by pointing this out? Tell me, Jabou. I'm waiting for him on the '97 Constitution. The problem in Africa is not the Halifas, it's people like yourself who put them on a pedestal and tell them they can do no wrong. You, in particular, are always throwing something at Yaya Jammeh. Don't you realize that Yaya Jammeh is out of control because his supporters are engaged in the same type of sycophancy that you're engaged in here. What gives you the right to lob insults at him then? Because you're unwilling to scrutinize the one you adore (Halifa,) just like Yaya's supporters treat him. Where is your sense of justice Jabou? And you are the one who wants true democracy? I thought you were different, but you're just another hypocrite. You said ". . .the cronies of yet another generation of opportunists devise ever more deceitful ways to pull the wool over our eyes." Great. Who are these cronies? I've never had a relationship (blood/otherwise) with any Gambian politician. Period. So, what makes me a crony? Tell me Jabou. You're using the same tactic that Yaya Jammeh uses to dismiss his critics. Why can't you get it in your head that some of us don't fall for superficial gimmicks. And to even think that you subscribe to Alpha Robinson's views. Read that piece again, and see the crap he wrote about our intellectuals. Alpha has since realized his mistake, and I hope you'll reconsider as well. There's nothing wrong with cononizing Halifa. That's your prerogative. But, trying to demonize those of us whose only crime is to look at every politician critically, won't work here. This is the Ramadan, and as a woman, I'm refraining from saying some things now. But if you want to engage in taking cheap shots at Halifa's critics, you've chosen the wrong people here. You can either follow the debate to it's conclusion, or you can stop. Otherwise, be my guest and keep putting out these ideas! I'm deliberately ignoring several things you've said, but I dare you to continue this shameless charade. Just Make My Day, Jabou! Saul. >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------