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Biraago
Gambia
173 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 03:09:43
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culled from The Gambia ECHO
By Foday .Samateh...Posted August 24th, 2006
“I may not share your Jammeh-bashing sentiments but I would be unjust if I do not admit the beauty of the following statement as the acme of literary excellence!"----APRC Supporter (circa 2006)
After reading my article on Diplomacy, a friend of mine, an AFPRC supporter, sent me this e-mail: “I may not share your Jammeh-bashing sentiments but I would be unjust if I do not admit the beauty of the following statement as the acme of literary excellence!
Read: ‘NADD is led by a superlatively eloquent man with time-tested solid integrity matched by un-dimming strength of vision to light our way into the future. What more could The Gambia ask for?’” Translation? Mr. Halifa Sallah is our only and best choice.
While NADD is fighting for the soul of The Gambia, APRC and UDP spin-masters are frantically hard at business as usual. At best, they are putting up shows for political gimmicks and theatrics if only to out do each other in shallow jingoism at the expense of our nation’s prospects for genuine democracy.
The APRC is the status quo party. On the question of change for the betterment of our country, it has no legitimacy. It cannot deny that there is a galaxy of reasons for urgent change, because there is. Nor can the party promise any meaningful change in the twin essentials of democracy and economy, since it is not only responsible for the current quagmire; it stands firmly by it as the laudable achievement of Yayha Jammeh’s 12-year rule. In short, the APRC is barren of solutions to the problems of its own making. It is as guilty as charged with misgoverning the country, gross negligence of the democratic duty, and willful violation of electoral mandate. And this September, it must be sentenced to the retirement facility of ex-governments: history.
With the law of elimination passed on the APRC, the two remaining contenders - UDP/NRP and NADD - must exhaustively be put to the same standard test on the merits of their agenda for solution to The Gambia’s crippling problems. We can best do this by transcending the partisan rhetoric to base our judgment on the fundamental differences that resulted in UDP/NRP split from NADD. Some, led by Hamat Bah in deliberate misinformation campaign, have attempted to recast this difference as a leadership dispute on who should be the flag-bearer. But clearly, that is bedside the central point. The real difference is not about leadership, it is about leadership philosophy for post-Yahya-Jammeh democracy.
NADD was established on two distinct agendas. The first was to combine the strength of the opposition parties to unseat Jammeh on a simple majority constitutional amendment that annulled the more than 50% vote requirement for the presidency. The second, if not the more important, is to create a transitional program of institutional reform for a viable, genuine democracy for five years, so that the likes of Yahya Jammeh presidency, executive branch of government with unaccountable power, are now and forever a sad history. This is the substantive core of the NADD agenda, and the rest of it is structural means to achieve the democratic enterprise. I find it difficult to understand why anyone would have a problem with such a clear-cut solution agenda, but those who want to game such noble project to achieve their ulterior motives: namely, UDP and NRP.
While the UDP and NRP agreed with the first agenda of NADD to consign the Yayha Jammeh presidency to the archives of history, they have, by all indications, no genuine demonstrative desire to dismantle the imperial presidency status quo once and for good. They signed the NADD Memorandum of Understanding in bad faith, because they are only interested in changing faces in the State House and not policies that have trapped the Gambia at the bottom of United Nations Human Development Report year in year out.
All Lawyer Darboe and Hamat Bah have given us on why they quit NADD are invented excuses (and they are all foolish) made by the UDP/NRP alliance that democracy is by numbers, that all coalitions are led by the biggest opposition party, and that they therefore made a cardinal “mistake” by agreeing to be equal with their former NADD colleagues when they were not equal. (George Orwell will be refreshingly impressed!)
Is it not too late to make such groundless complaints? Where were Lawyer Darboe and Hamat Bah when the language of the MOU was being framed? And how did they read the constructed language of the MOU before they appended their ceremonial signatures to the document? Two men: a veteran lawyer, and a veteran politician? This is more than a partisan problem; it is a monumental national embarrassment at a time of most urgent need for visionary leadership! (Even Yahya Jammeh would not under-perform himself this low.)
The respective supporters and members of the UDP and NRP should have openly held their leaders accountable for making a grand deal and honoring it with absurd utterances, instead of blaming Halifa Sallah for his negotiation skill, which is great asset for The Gambia in the international community. They should have charged and convicted Lawyer Darboe and Hamat Bah of gross incompetence and sentence them to resignation from their leadership positions in their parties. That is what we need in The Gambia, holding leaders accountable for their actions and performances, if we mean any serious about a new democratic nation.
To substantiate my point that Lawyer Darboe and Hamat Bah signed the MOU in bad faith, we need not look further than the memorandum itself. It provides for:
1) A five-year transition period for comprehensive institutional reform.
2) A one-term presidency of that transition period.
3) And a post-transition period two-term presidency
(not to be contested by the transitional president in the first election following the transition period).
If Darboe was not interested in this arrangement, why did he sign the MOU? If he was more interested in a full two-term presidency, (as we now know), why did he put up his name for the single-term transition presidency of only five years? For both questions, his answer is “mistake.” Don’t you believe it! Lawyer Darboe wants the best of both worlds. He has no intention to honor the MOU principles after he served the transition presidency. His plan was to game the noble democracy project! He can’t wait for five more years to be president, because everyday he waits is a day lost in waiting to fulfill the alleged promise of his great grandfather that God answered the old man’s prayers for his great grandson to be president of The Gambia.
We, the people of The Gambia, cannot hang our hopes and aspirations on un-provable statements, like Lawyer Darboe’s great grandfather’s promise of cutting a deal with God. NADD has a scientific approach to our problems, if we are living in a rational world!
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 16:50:24
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| Thanks Biraago. Overall haven't seen what UDP/NRP alliance is all about so far. Where is their MOU, manifesto, political programmes, visons and its advocacy. Are they different from NADDs? Even if they are different the prevailing circumstances is common. Is there any solution agenda for UDP/NRP? |
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Biraago
Gambia
173 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 18:35:05
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| We shall see by thge coming days. |
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Bronx
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 18:49:25
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"If Darboe was not interested in this arrangement, why did he sign the MOU?"
I see this line bandied around a lot. Darbo and the others sign the MOU to form an alliance with each party retaining its vialibility. But some genius decided to register NADD as a party. Mr. Darbo didn't sign the MOU to disban the UDP and that is what happened after they refused to listen to his counsel not to register NADD as a party. Here is an excerpt of what happened according to the Gambia journal:
"Now, from hindsight and from facts that the Gambia Journal have gathered, what looked like an innocent mistake could have been a deliberate ploy by some members of the coalition leadership. We have gathered from reliable sources that UDP’s Mr. Darbo, who is a lawyer by profession, had strongly advised the NADD executive against registering the coalition at the IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) in the organizational form they had adopted. Being unable to convince his colleagues Mr. Darbo decided on washing his hands off the registration process. The then NADD Chairman, the venerable Assan Musa Camara, was assigned to meet Mr. Darbo and bring him back on board for the registration exercise. At Mr. Darbo’s office Mr. Camara had everything laid out for him in such a way that he was alarmed and worried at the erroneous decision to register NADD in the manner that they did. Mr. Sallah, the NADD coordinator, was out of the country but his colleague Mr. Sam Sarr was around. Mr. Camara hurriedly took to the phone and got Sarr, asking him to go to the IEC office and withdraw the registration papers immediately. Mr. Sarr promised the Chairman that he would do that. In reality Sarr never went back to withdraw those papers. Hidden behind this case is one of the problems that were to finally lead to the fall out that was to come almost a year later in February 2006. Already, in the newspapers, the politically alert Mrs. Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay pointed out that in fact the registration of NADD as a political party could be constitutionally interpreted in such a way that the parties that constituted it would loose their respective seats in the National Assembly and the holding of by-elections."...http://www.thegambiajournal.com/artman/publish/article_51.shtml
So in short, Darbo signed the MOU to form a tactical alliance and not to disban the UDP and have it taken advantage off by non-entities like NDAM as explained in this excerpt again from the Gambia journal:
"Other members of the NADD Executive were adamant on pursuing the registration process. Their tactical thinking was that by registering NADD, they would commit all parties in the alliance irrevocably to it. If this could be achieved, then UDP and NRP would have their rear blocked; there would be no turning back for them. The registration was completed; the parties that had seats in the assembly lost them after contesting it in court. Now it is believed that all of them have reached a point of no return and that all that parties have be leveled to equal status and that no party dare to withdraw from the NADD Alliance, as doing that would be committing political suicide. In this way a showdown became impossible between the major and the minor parties of the NADD alliance that has now been hijacked into a “party.” ..."
So the smaller parties were in essence trying to blackmail the larger entities and they call their bluff. That is where we found ourselves today. Demagoguery is not helping the situation. The dynamics on the ground remains the same. The UDP/NRP alliance will contest the election to win. Their opponent is the APRC.
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 19:26:53
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bronx thanks for your posting. If it were not for the benefit of the wider readership, i would say do not engage this inept talibeeh of serign Ayatollah of serrekunda. He is in Gmabia. he knows the political reality there. iF you carefully read his articles you will feel his sense of furustration. They are up to no good.
Anyway your respond is a slam dun but only the level headed will comprehend that. Thank God, the vast majority of our electorates are level headed and they very well comprehend that line of argument of yours. Keep it up bro. As for me, I am waiting for the big fish so that i can grill him well. Oh I can't wait!
Thanks for your thoughts |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 19:38:23
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Kobo, you want to know the UDP programmes, right? I suggest you visit their website and click on manifesto ok and make sure you stop this preposterous insinuation. No party would exist in Gambia without first presenting its programmes to the IEC because that is a legal requirement. If you don't present a programme you wouldn't be registered and if you are not registered, you don't operate. It is as simple as that ok.
Thanks for your thoughts
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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Biraago
Gambia
173 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 19:44:28
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Can you re-wright your intervention by starting with the truth. It could help you see the Sun in broad daylight.
1. NADD was registered by 500 individuals, among whom were some members of the executive committes of the UDP, NRP, PDOIS, NDAM and the PPP.
Because of this, ALL THE POLITICAL PARTIES were still existing even with the registration of NADD.
2. All these individuals including the leaders of the UDP, NRP, PDOIS, NDAM and the PPP were 100% engaged in the septem 29 by-elections to regain the National assembly seats held by Halifa Sallah - PDOIS - Serre kunda Central, Sidia Jatta - PDOIS - Wuli East, Kemeseng jammeh - Jarra West - UPD and Hamat Bah - NRP Upper Saloum. All these people consciously fought these bye-elections under a NADD ticket and all but Hamat Bah retained their seats as members of the National Assembly as NADD members. Hamat's failure to retain his seat was contested in court by NADD with Lawyer as counsel cum executive member of NADD.
Both Hamat Bah, Halifa Sallah and Omar Amadou Jallow (OJ) were arrested and detained by the Jammeh dictatorship as NADD executive members.
The National Inter-Party MOU that included NADD, the APRC and the NCT but not GPDP, sponsored by the Commonwealth was blessed by the intervention of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
This MOU was signed by all parties and the UDP, NRP, PDOIS, NDAM and the PPP were all represented by Halifa Sallah under the name of NADD although with the flag-bearer at the back of the mind of all participants because it had then become a hot potato for the UDP and the NRP.
Ousainou Darboe, resigned as an executive member and a general member of NADD the Party and said that he was still a member of NADD the alliance. This was done under the clouded by the fact that his nomination as flag-bearer for NADD was not seconded by anybody. Even the NRP representave did not vote for him but voted instead for OJ. This ofcourse created a rife within the NRP as Hamat Bah always have the final say in that party just like Yahya Jammeh in the APRC and Doeboe in the UDP.
Doeboe claimed that some of his colleagues in the executive did not trust him. Gambians started to ask themselves, if Darboe was equal to the whole of the UDP because Kemeseng Jammeh was trusted among all other UDP members but not him the leader and that he is of more importance than threst of the UDP if this is what Darboe wanted us to believe. I would'nt say that this is the case because i am not in his mind. This is the general understanding by harboured most Gambians.
While still claiming to be members of NADD the alliance, the UDP and the NRP broke the agreements and started campaigning on their own under the pretext that much time been waisted talking and the APRC was already out campaigning. They hsad to be taken to quarter deck and set put on the rail tracks again. The UDP and NRP finally withdrew from NADD amid this chaos while they were stil engaged in the selection of a flag-beaerer for NADD.
I told you that NADD is here to teach poliutics to people like you, even if you are a supporter of the UDP. We are a National (for all Gambians irrespective of affiliation or level of understanding or engagement) Alliance for Democracy and development.
We hope you read not with your UDP mind but with your Gambian heart, because then you would learn from our writtings.
You see, unlike some, we love and would like to see all Gambians to prosper in the peaceful and advanced country.
Hope you dont miss-understand this statement. It is not an accusation to anyone but those who see themselves as being holkders a contrary sentiment.
I wish you well. |
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dbaldeh
USA
934 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 19:56:14
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Biraago, you have absolutely summarize everything any decent gambian need to know about the opposition break up. You have also highlighted the fundamental differences between NADD and UDP/NRP. One can spin it any way they so desires to suit their bias, but the truth shall always remain the truth.
The statements below sums up the weakness and blind support for leaders without accountability. This is the syndrome that is rife in our current national assembly and APRC supporters. Until we are able to hold ourselves and our leaders accountable, nothing can be done to achieve political maturity.
The respective supporters and members of the UDP and NRP should have openly held their leaders accountable for making a grand deal and honoring it with absurd utterances,
They should have charged and convicted Lawyer Darboe and Hamat Bah of gross incompetence and sentence them to resignation from their leadership positions in their parties. That is what we need in The Gambia, holding leaders accountable for their actions and performances, if we mean any serious about a new democratic nation.
UDP/NRP party executive and their intellectual supporters should have move to replace Darboe and Bah as party leaders. Their so called mistakes are a testimony of incompetence and gross negligence.
Atleast some prominent and respectful executive members like Amadou Sanneh, Feme Peters should have called these leaders to account. Supporters like Bronxm, Daffeh and others should have attempted to make the bold move to replace Darboe by either Amadou Sanneh or anyone else to lead the UDP. It was cystal clear that the UDP could not trust their leader to sign on their behalf - thus the colossal misrepresentation of the party's intend for a party led alliance. Gambians and the remaining members of NADD would have been able to team up with the rest of UDP to form a viable coalition. NADD would have undertood that UDP means business to replace the status quo. This misrepresentation by Darboe/UDP negotiation team will permanently place their party's name in the historic books of political betrayal of the Gambian people.
To set the records straight for Bronx, UDP, NDAM, PDOIS were never dismantled despite the registration of NADD. NADD was to represent the National transitional government during the duration of the transition. Respective political parties were to maintain their organs and get back to normal party politics after the transition. This is clearly spelled out in the MOU and there was never a desire to dismantle the parties. If we are to argue we must do it in good faith. Negotiation and argument in bad faith is what got us in the mess we are in and it is a sign of dishonestly and weakness. Let us always keep the records straight even if we are wrong. |
Baldeh,
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Ghandi
Visit http://www.gainako.com for your daily news and politics |
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Bronx
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 20:02:08
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"I told you that NADD is here to teach poliutics to people like you, even if you are a supporter of the UDP."
Thanks Biragoo. I appreciate your offer, but no thanks. I don't want to have anything to do with your kind of indoctrination. It is not healthy. You are really a funny guy you know that...teach me politics...you killing me bro. You are taking yourself too seriously. You have very little to offer me Paco. Get your own psyche together. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 20:09:50
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Why cry over spill milk. It’s a done deal for APRC to win. Lets get back to the drawing board and plan for 2011. NADD was never meant to succeed. It was an alliance of convenience and a party of strange bedfellows.
Once again, our educated Gambians have failed us. Quite too often we have blamed ignorance as our problem but history has always proofed that it is the educated Gambians who are our own enemies.
Once an old man told me that the TUBABU KARANG DINGs confuse them. He asked me why the educated never seem to agree on a better way to manage the country. He says all the back stabbings are done by the educated ones causing confusion in the communities but then after all is said and done; they are the only ones enjoying life whilst they are the political pawns reduced to scavengers. He cited people both in government and opposition all living relatively well while they are struggling for a three meal.
In fact he said that the selling of voters cards or taking bribes for elections was their only way of enjoying some temporal comfort. Election was their cash cow and they cannot help it because if they do not take it, then no one would seem to care about them.
The dream of every African is to become a president for life and this dream unfortunately has become our biggest enemy of progress. Everyone wants to lead but no one wants to be led. Like the Wollof say: SO BUGEH NEKA MBAHANA, DANGA NANGO DON DALLA.
This translate to: if you want to be a hat and don on our heads, you must be prepared to become a shoe in the first place to be trampled on.
Until such time, and only then can we have leaders dedicated to the cause of society. For me, it’s a waste of time to talk about politics. SOOL BOUKI, SULLI BOUKI
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 20:38:14
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Baldeh My friend, please let that Talibeeh serign sallah writing from Latrikunda that a right to associate has a concomitant right to disassociate. Darboe has resigned from NADD since time immemorial. Why does he expect him to have dealing with a NADD case in court? Have you all missed him? Ndey sann.
Sorry guys but he is gone for good.
Looking forward to seeing your cooperation.
Daffeh
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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dbaldeh
USA
934 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 21:20:02
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Off course he is gone for good  . Gambia and its people remain in the struggle and will never go away. Thanks for the final verdict. It has been a national tragedy to have had him in the first place 
Thank God for a closure. |
Baldeh,
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Ghandi
Visit http://www.gainako.com for your daily news and politics |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 22:11:40
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Indeed that is the final verdict for NADD. The UDP Will continue the struggle with Alhagi Ousainu and his brilliant team in tact. If you and Halifa don't want to see that just remain in doors [both of you] so that you don't have to hear or see that yellow flag and the robust slogan of Darboe! Darboe! bey Statehouse.
Thanks for your thoughts
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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Bronx
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 25 Aug 2006 : 22:27:33
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"It has been a national tragedy to have had him in the first place"
Damn Bra...what is up with all this animosity. You guys claimed to have a lock on ideas, but you sure as hell sound hurt. Why can't you guys just go and sell your "PROGRAM". Whatever that means. It sounds communist to me any way. Darbo is going to win more votes than your little outfit called PDOIS/NDAM/OJ. We have a bigger fish to fry...ie yahya and APRC, your little emotional fits not withstanding.
The alliance broke months ago and you guys are still bitter. What the hell. Marriages broke every doggone day and the parties go their separate ways. But you guys are acting like the gilted bride. Always asking where is your P-R-O-G-R-A-M? God is that all you guys know anything about. The average Gambian can't read your communist manifesto and they don't trust your party (PDOIS). What has your manifesto done for you after 25yrs of preaching it to the populace. Barely 3% of the vote. No wonder you guys try to pull a fast one on the UDP and NRP. You want to use their base to realise your two decade dream. Well think again, because that plan has been derailed and we are not falling for it again. Capice?
You guys can call me ignorant, unpatriotic or whatever name you desire...it doesn't diminish me by an iota. You don't love that country more than I. We disagree on the way forward. Big deal. That is life. It will be a boring place the day we all agree on everything. That is essentially what you guys propagate. If you are not for NADD, you are either dumb, unpatriotic or the big enchilida tribalist. Well I got news for you bro...you ain't smarter than any of us UDP supporters, nor are you more patriotic. We make our choice and will defend it here and anywhere else you choose to debate us. |
Edited by - Bronx on 25 Aug 2006 22:29:53 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 26 Aug 2006 : 16:30:43
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| Bronx I would briefly observed to understand from your post, political blackmail and attempt to dictate the terms of forming or pledging to a national alliance to favour UDP and NRP as they command majority based on your "numbers". Is that correct? |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
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