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BambaLaye
USA
100 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Sep 2006 : 23:19:19
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The Significance of the Unsaid.
Abdoulie Jallow (BambaLaye)
September 25, 2006
Will someone whisper in Yaya Jammeh’s skunky ears to hold his horses for a minute and reflect on the results of last weeks votes? There is no need for Jammeh to be thumping here and there pounding his chest, throwing up beach parties in the Holy Month of Ramadan in delusion of a clean sweep. He should take a moment and reflect on the real results of the less than democratic exercise of Friday September 22. Jammeh should pay heed to the message sent by 59.94 percent of the eligible voters in The Gambia.
No, I am not talking about those who voted for him rather the 59.94 percent of the registered voters in The Gambia who have expressed their lack of confidence in Jammeh and his coterie of prairie dogs for a government.
Matter of fact according to reports of the IEC, only 392, 685 or 59.50 percent of the approximately 660,000 registered voters bothered to show up and vote on September 22. This show 267,315 or 40.50 percent of those who are eligible to vote did not show up mainly due to lack of confidence in Jammeh and his outfit. Of those who bothered to come out and vote, 128,281 or 19.44 percent did not vote for him. Based on this analysis, it is crystal clear 395,596 or 59.94 percent of the registered voters either have no confidence in Jammeh and his outfit, were intimidated to not vote at all, may have had their votes bought or a as a result of a combination of all the above scenarios. Of those who may have not voted due to lack of confidence would include those who may have arrived at that conclusion after the break-up of the UDP and NRP from the NADD coalition.
Indubitably, Jammeh should take a hard look at these statistical facts and reflect on the havoc he has wreaked on the Gambian people in the past twelve years. Barely a week before the elections, I had a lengthy conversation with an elderly person who confided in me that they and many others of their age and status were literally scared to vote against Yaya Jammeh because he had told them in his meetings that he can tell if they do not vote for him and he can also tell if they refuse to vote at all. He literally instilled an aura of mystical presence in the voting booth – a third eye - so to speak. So, these folks were essentially voting for him with a disheartened or fearful mindset as a result of the deliberate and obvious coercion and intimidation.
Meanwhile, a word for the opposition candidates cannot be more than enough. In as much as they have travailed hard and mighty, they ought to also take a long and hard look at the writing on the wall and reflect on what would have been. I was intermittently giggling and crying in my heart today when I read a transcript of Ousainou Darboe’s response to the BBC anchor’s question on the possibilities of winning Jammeh had they united against him. The distinguished gentleman from Dobo said he didn’t think a united opposition would have made a difference. For one, it is almost funny that even at this daylight hour in the history of Gambia, Mr. Darboe is still defensive of the horrendous error in judgment he made when he withdrew UDP from NADD and it is so disheartening that he is clueless of the message sent by the electorate. A word is more than enough.
The Gambian people have spoken alright; their message is loud and clear for both Jammeh and the opposition. They have expressed lack of confidence in the A(F)PRC regime by refusing to vote en mass. They have expressed their frustration of the lack of unity of the opposition to junk the worst thing that has ever happened to the people of Gambia – Yaya Jammeh and the A(F)PRC. Jammeh will declare victory for the next five years while the rest of the people will have to deal with another five years of poverty, blatant disregard of their rights as human beings, state sanctioned public mismanagement of resources – aka corruption; they will have to deal with another five years of the disappearance, killings and maiming of dozens or hundreds of their kith and kin; they will have to deal with another five years of the reckless arrogance of a distrustful leader who puts no value on the decency of a human being; they will have to deal with another five years of the almost comical monstrosity of a burden on the head of every Gambian – even the unborn. All this and more, they will have to deal with for another five years.
The economically poor, the principally downtrodden, the emotionally battered, the physically drained and politically robbed people of The Gambia will have to endure another five years of misery not of their making. This is no victory for Jammeh.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 25 Sep 2006 : 23:46:40
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tHE PROBLEM IS we can only declare a winner based on the tally of votes caste. People cannot be dragged into polling booths. They must do so freely. Although it might be a sacred civic duty to vote, it is not compulsory to do so. To choose to stay away is to mortgage one's right and therefore should be prepared to be the political pawns on the landscape.
I think the winner should be based on the results and not the the absentees. The only way they can protest and show dislike for APRC is to vote against them.Staying away will not guarantee them being counted.
You are right that Gambians have protested both to the APRC and the oposition. May be more voter education should be embarked upon. However like the mandinkas say: FURAY DANG DANG NA, KA DANG DINKA DAALA. ( You can take a horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink.)
I only hope they UDP is not planning to boycott parlimentary elections. That will be a great diservice to democracy and effcetively confirming a one party assembly and with new presidential powers to suspend parliament indefinitely, the three arms of government will finally be fused into one.
This was an earlier campaign for a one party state in 2001 and i bet BOY NARR will be smiling and milking his camel that his trainee has come of age. |
Edited by - kondorong on 25 Sep 2006 23:50:40 |
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BambaLaye
USA
100 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2006 : 00:06:12
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| True th results are based on the actual votes cast but the SIGNIFICANCE of the result and the functionality of the SYSTEM itself is mostly jduged by the percentage of voters willing to cast their ballot. Point is, political capital cannot be claimed in an exercise where more than a third abstain. It tells more of the system/guardians of the system and confidence of the voters on the system. That, in a nutshell, is what I was trying to convey. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2006 : 01:02:56
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| Very right Bambalaye. I wish APRC saw what you saw. It humbles oneself that there are many protestors out there who thought that they were not impressed. 41% is definitely very large almost half of the registered voters. |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2006 : 01:18:37
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| It doesn't matter. They have another mandate and more challenges for another term. |
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