It is seven years since Deyda Hydara was murdered by thugs on a dirt street in the Gambia. The government of Yahya Jammeh refused to make any effort to investigate the circumstances. Why would they? after all he is critical of the way Yahya is running that nation into the ground. Two of his sons have recently file a lawsuit with West Africa’s regional human rights court.
Rest in Peace Deyda....
Read his daughter's tribute here
Rest in Peace Deyda....
Read his daughter's tribute here
The UDP has officially rejected the results of the November 24th presidential elections. They have not divulge as of this publication what their next move entails. Which makes the whole news conference a charade. Unless they are willing to take to the streets, the results of last Thursday stands. I don't foresee the leadership of UDP ever taking to the streets to force yahya's hands. This is much hullabaloo about nothing. Yahya will continue his reign of terror because Gambians let him.
This is the IEC's breakdown of the November 24th election results. The site is latent beyond belief, but you can check them out here. No
surprises as far as I am concerned, after seeing the opposition
squabble for years without a concrete plan to confront an entrenched
dictatorship.
Live of updates of election results
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Thursday, November 24, 2011
For live broadcast of the election returns on GRTS, click on this link courtesy of Raaki television...an operation run by brother Buharry out of Sweden. Latency could be an issue along the way due to the traffic they will be getting from diasporans longing for election updates.
Generational failure...as Gambia goes to the polls.
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Wednesday, November 23, 2011
I am in my mid-thirties and for most of my adult life, lived in the comforts of the west; the United States to be specific. I am the diasporan that politicians in the Gambia recoiled at when we lobbed criticism at their lack of strategy in getting rid of 17 years of Yahya's authoritarian rule. They are grateful for our remittances, without which that place will be a basket case, but never lose a beat in reminding us who has skin in the game. It is a sad spectacle coming from seemingly and by every educational measurement, very smart guys.
In a few hour's time, Gambians are going to engage in another sham election. The outcome of which unless you live under some kind of rock, is obvious. The mechanism needed to rid our nation of a cancerous dictatorship was derail due to petty squabbles amongst men who should know better.
This has left a sizable sector of my generation puzzled, at the intransigence of our parent's generation of opposition politicians. These men of healthy age couldn't put away idealogy to save a nation. Personally, I have lost faith in the leadership of my parent's generation. I speak not literally of our parents -- I have two loving ones --one died (my Dad) more than a decade ago, but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. they have failed us over and over and over again. Remember, when Yahya ordered his goons to use live ammunition on my generation in broad daylight and murdered fourteen of them? My parent's generation didn't rise up to demand justice for the fallen. They cowered and hold tightly onto their rosaries, praying to a deity, to rescue them from the clutches of tyranny. Well, I got news for them, it ain't gonna happen. God said to help thyself and he will bless your endeavors. Freedom ain't free and until Gambians cleanse ourselves of the delusion, that we are the most peaceful people on God's green earth, we will be takers for bullies like Yahya Jemus Jammeh.
Our parents’ generation has balked at the tough decisions required to preserve our country’s sacred trust in standing up for the sanctity of life, especially for the young and vulnerable. They preach peace without calling for justice for the fallen. We still grief for the fallen and hope to hold the perpetrator to account for his deeds. All we asked of our parent's generation of opposition leaders, was to make this possible, by coming together and that becomes an insurmountable task for them to carry out. Instead, in a matter of hours, they will legitimize a tyrant by participating in a sham that even ECOWAS had to pull their observers from.
Well, like they say in my neck of the woods, the deed is done. These crop of our parents generation have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations. We have to take our country back before it reaches the abyss.Time for plan B.
In a few hour's time, Gambians are going to engage in another sham election. The outcome of which unless you live under some kind of rock, is obvious. The mechanism needed to rid our nation of a cancerous dictatorship was derail due to petty squabbles amongst men who should know better.
This has left a sizable sector of my generation puzzled, at the intransigence of our parent's generation of opposition politicians. These men of healthy age couldn't put away idealogy to save a nation. Personally, I have lost faith in the leadership of my parent's generation. I speak not literally of our parents -- I have two loving ones --one died (my Dad) more than a decade ago, but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. they have failed us over and over and over again. Remember, when Yahya ordered his goons to use live ammunition on my generation in broad daylight and murdered fourteen of them? My parent's generation didn't rise up to demand justice for the fallen. They cowered and hold tightly onto their rosaries, praying to a deity, to rescue them from the clutches of tyranny. Well, I got news for them, it ain't gonna happen. God said to help thyself and he will bless your endeavors. Freedom ain't free and until Gambians cleanse ourselves of the delusion, that we are the most peaceful people on God's green earth, we will be takers for bullies like Yahya Jemus Jammeh.
Our parents’ generation has balked at the tough decisions required to preserve our country’s sacred trust in standing up for the sanctity of life, especially for the young and vulnerable. They preach peace without calling for justice for the fallen. We still grief for the fallen and hope to hold the perpetrator to account for his deeds. All we asked of our parent's generation of opposition leaders, was to make this possible, by coming together and that becomes an insurmountable task for them to carry out. Instead, in a matter of hours, they will legitimize a tyrant by participating in a sham that even ECOWAS had to pull their observers from.
Well, like they say in my neck of the woods, the deed is done. These crop of our parents generation have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations. We have to take our country back before it reaches the abyss.Time for plan B.
Buharry at Raaki Tv is running campaign videos on his site. Check them out at his 2011 presidential elections page
Jammeh is Gambia's Problem...Darbo
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Lawyer
Ousainou Darbo, Gambia's main opposition leader to Yahya Jammeh to the woodshed
with a scathing and powerful take on his 17 years of tyranny and its
consequences on the average Gambian. Win or lose, I think this is a serious
document that needs wide circulation. The document was originally posted at UDPGambia.com
I am reposting it here in it's entirety. Fair use be damned.
I am reposting it here in it's entirety. Fair use be damned.
"Fellow
Gambians,
It
is with great humility and abundance of honour, that I address you, once again,
as your nominated presidential candidate in the forthcoming November 24th
Presidential elections.
Most
of us Gambians, we are appalled, horrified and shamed by the tyranny, abuse and
buffoonery of Yahya Jammeh. We are often at a loss, to understand, how we ended
up with the terrible Jammeh government. We wonder how our small and beautiful
country, our Smiling Coast, lost all its early hope and promise of peace and
prosperity. We despair, about how a megalomaniac as uncouth as Yahya Jammeh,
managed to drag our beloved country into the gutter of bad governance, state
violence and treachery at every turn.
Most
of us Gambians, we look at what has befallen our nation and we weep in pain and
in sorrow. We are appalled at the way our elders are disrespected, disgraced
and dismissed. We are horrified at the way the good people of this land are
violated, vilified and victimised. We are shamed by the fact that for 17 years,
we allowed our county to be turned into a pariah state and laughing stock,
divorced from the community of civilised nations.
Fellow
Gambians, ENOUGH is ENOUGH; you know it, I know it, we all
know it; enough is enough, it is now TIME
for CHANGE; it is time for DEVELOPMENT with DIGNITY for our beloved country. Everywhere we look, we see tyrants
who proclaimed unrivalled mightiness, fall from power, and cower in sewers
whilst the citizenry reclaim their rightful sovereignty.
Fellow Gambians,
You,
me, all of us; can play a heroic role on 24th November 2011 by
voting for a UDP unity government. Verily, to every curse endured, there is a
blessing waiting; to all suffering, there is respite and reprieve; to the doom
and gloom of Yahya Jammeh, there is the waiting glory and grace of a UDP unity
government. You too can be part of Gambian’s AUTUMN REVELUTION by make your pact with destiny and vote for a UDP
unity government on 24th November.
For
most of us Gambians, we suffer the everyday pains and humiliations of the curse
of the Yahya Jammeh misrule. We suffer in silence. In our own little ways, we
try to survive without calling attention to ourselves and our families, lest we
are visited with unjust and vindictive retribution. Yet in our pain and
humiliation, our souls are battered, our self-respect depleted, and our honour
as human beings is quashed.
Once
upon a time, all Gambian citizens were treated with civility and honour.
Rightly, we all basked in the glory of human equality that Allah has bestowed
upon us as human beings. Yet today, grown men are compelled to behave like
emasculated servants – whimpering, bowing and submitting to this tormentor
Yahya Jammeh and his bullying agents.
Today,
our womenfolk, our mothers, aunties, sisters and daughters are compelled to
behave like helpless supplicants – flattering, appeasing and begging this
predator Yahya Jammeh and his scavenging henchmen.
Today,
our esteemed elders and religious leaders are compelled to behave like
delirious sycophants – validating, encouraging and praising this tyrant Yahya
Jammeh and his small clique of collaborators.
Today,
judges, senior officials and decent men and women are compelled to beg,
prostrate and crawl before Yahya Jammeh, who holds himself out as a tin-pot
monarch. As a nation of decent people, we have been disgraced, demeaned and
demoralised. We are treated, spoken to and chastised as children. A wicked and
contemptuous tyrant, with his small band of minions have subdued, subjugated
and subverted the freedom and dignity of 1.7
million citizens.
We
have allowed this vile oppression to subsist, because we fear that Yahya Jammeh
will visit us with violence, abuse, insults, humiliations and deprivation; yet
everywhere I look, I see citizens drowning in poverty, trembling in fear and
humbled by daily indignities. Even for the agents, henchmen and collaborators
who do some of Yahya Jammeh’s dirty work, I see them end up as his victim,
languishing in prison, dying in mysterious circumstances or ostracised into the
jittery wilderness of disfavour.
Poor
Gambia, how have we fallen so low? Why are we trapped in this debauched
cauldron of venality, dishonour and decrepitude? How have we ended up with a
vengeful government that deprives and depraves its people?
My
heart bleeds in pain for the suffering of our people. Fellow Gambians, as Allah
is my witness, enough is enough; you know it, I know it, we all know it. Let
the truth be spoken, loud and clear; Yahya Jammeh is the national tormentor,
bully and predator. For his continued oppression and humiliation of Gambians,
the shame is on all of our heads. For the action to end the curse of Yahya
Jammeh, the weapon is in our hands, in the form of our voters card.
QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE ELECTORATE
In
the past 15 years, I have travelled up and down the country, I have visited
towns and villages, I have spoken with thousands of men, women and youths. In
recent months, I have heard from honest and decent Gambians who have never
voted for me before. These people, many of whom did not vote at all at the 2006
elections, have asked some fundamental questions. They say to me:
“Lawyer
Darboe, we are sick and tired of the wicked government of Yahya Jammeh, and we
know that you are a good man, BUT:
Would
my single vote make a difference and can Jammeh be removed through the ballot
box?
- Are you strong enough to remove Jammeh?
- Do you accept that Jammeh has done some good things?
- What will you actually do as president to improve opportunities and prospects of citizens?”
Fellow
Gambians,
I
am very grateful to all of you who have taken the trouble to speak with me
directly and the thousands of you, who have contacted my colleagues about your
concerns and queries. Today, I shall give you my answer.
I
want the whole country to listen to me very carefully, as I give you my simple
and honest answer and my eternal pledge of commitment. I want every Gambian,
irrespective of party affiliation to know what I, Ousainu Numukunda Darboe,
stand for. I want those of you who have voted for Yahya Jammeh before, to
listen to why you now have to change your vote and vote for a UDP unity
government.
This
moment is our appointment with destiny. It is beholden to every citizen to
listen to the facts, accept the truth and do the right thing. As your candidate
for president of the Republic of The Gambia, it is my humble duty to make my
case to you. As a citizen of this sovereign nation, it is your duty to vote for
the national interest. This is the democratic pact, fellow Gambians. This is
the mark of civility and enlightenment. This is the start of development with
dignity for The Gambia. This is the beginning of Change from the Yahya Jammeh
tyranny to the progressive and compassionate UDP unity government that awaits
the nation on the 25th November 2011
THE POWER OF YOUR VOTE
There
are many Gambians, who believe that their single vote and individual effort is
a waste; that their vote will not result in actual change of government. For
those of you who doubt your democratic potency and your individual electoral
power, lend me your ears and your minds, for I want to remind you of key
logistical facts and eternal truths about the civilise force of democracy.
On
the appointed day of 24th November 2011, it is you as a citizen who
enters the polling station. You will be alone; your card in your hand; the
future and prospects of your children in your hand; the salvation of the
Republic of The Gambia in your hand; the all-seeing eyes of our Lord Allah
watching you. Yours is a solemn duty, to vote for change, to vote for a UDP
unity government, to vote for development with dignity.
It
is the single individual drops of rain that together waters the earth that
yields the bounty that springs forth. It is the minute single individual grains
of rice that together makes up the meal that nourishes your family. It is your
single individual votes that together will deliver electoral victory for UDP
and its alliance parties; mandating us to form a unity government, under my
leadership.
This
is a simple logistical and irrefutable fact. Therefore, when schemers, liars
and enemies of democracy tell you that, you are being watched when you vote; or
that your single individual vote is a waste; or that Yahya Jammeh cannot be
voted out of office; you will know better. Anybody, and let me repeat this,
anybody who tries to interfere with the operation of this simple logistical
fact, this fundamental electoral rule, this eternal democratic right and
reality, be it the Independent Electoral Commission itself, or Yahya Jammeh and
his party, or any random enemy of the people – they will be committing a crime
in law and a gross offence against the entire nation. Fellow Gambians, I beg
you to listen to me carefully. Neither
me Ousainu Numukunda Darboe, nor you, the good people of The Gambia, will
tolerate any hint or smidgen of electoral fraud or democratic crime.
Fellow
Gambians,
Your
single individual secret vote for me Ousianou Darboe and the UDP alliance will
bring to an absolute and final termination of the wicked government of Yahya
Jammeh. Nobody can do anything about this eventuality. Allah Almighty is with
the Gambian people. The old adage is true; vox
populi, vox dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God. It is with
Allah’s help and will that the era of Yahya Jammeh’s tyranny will end on 24th
November 2011, and when you wake up on 25th November 2011, you can
bask in the glory of a new unity government and a new enlightenment, emerging
from that powerful single individual vote of yours.
Fellow
Gambians,
Do
not be complacent about your democratic rights and your electoral power.
Democracy is not a fancy ideal and a fanciful aspiration. Your democratic
rights are predicated on your very humanity, and your electoral power allows
you to determine the future of your family and your nation. It is Allah the Almighty
in his eternal wisdom who created us human beings as equal. No amount of
worldly influence or affluence makes any man or woman superior to any of us.
Neither the powers we think we have, nor the towers we build for ourselves,
make us more human than our humble neighbours. Thus, it has come to pass, that
within the democratic settlement, power lies in your single individual vote. So
fellow Gambians, whenever you are again troubled by self-doubt, as to whether
your single vote can cause the change we need and want, just remember your God;
the gift of individual humanity bestowed upon your person; and your inalienable
equality to every other human being.
Through
the ballot box, and the power of the single individual votes of the citizens,
heroic Africans like you, have voted out sitting presidents. Fellow Gambians,
please beware that perceptions may not accord with reality. Irrespective of
what we think of the particular politicians, here in Africa, there is a long
list of opposition leaders and independent candidates winning elections and
forming governments. In the past 18 months alone, opposition leaders have
formed governments in 6 African countries:
In
September 2011, opposition leader Michael Sata won in Zambia.
In
August 2011, opposition leader Jorge Carlos Fonseca won in Cape Verde.
In
August 2011, former president Manuel Pinto da Costa won in Sao Tome &
Principe.
In
January 2011, veteran opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou won in Niger.
In
November 2010, veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde won in Guinea Conakry.
And
in June 2010, even in Somaliland, east of the failed state of Somalia,
opposition leader Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo won the elections and governs the
country.
In
July 2009, opposition leader Malam Bacai Sanha won in Guinea Bissau, where nine
years earlier in January 2000, another opposition leader Kumba Yala had won
against the ruling party.
In
December 2008, opposition leader John Atta Mills won in Ghana, where eight
years earlier in December 2004, another opposition leader John Kuffour had won
against the ruling party.
In
September 2007, opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma won in Sierra Leone.
In
March 2006, independent candidate Thomas Yayi Boni, won in Benin.
In
July 2005, former Prime Minister and opposition leader Navin Ramgoolam won in Mauritius.
In
August 2005, opposition leader Pierre Nkurunziza won in Burundi.
In
March 2002, veteran opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade won in Senegal
In
December 2002, veteran opposition leader Mwai Kibaki won in Kenya.
Way
back in 1994 when Yahya Jammeh overthrow the elected government in The Gambia,
in Malawi, former President-for-Life Hastings Banda, was defeated by opposition
leader Bakuli Muluzi.
Zambia,
the country that elected an opposition leader recently in September 2011,
elected another opposition leader Frederick Chiluba in October 1991, defeating
Kenneth Kaunda, the father of the Nation and hero of the independence struggle.
Fellow
Gambians,
Whoever
says that Africa does not remove its presidents and leaders from power through
the ballot box knows nothing of modern day politics. If you still have any
doubt as to the power and potency of your individual single vote; look around
the length and breadth of our continent for answers and reassurance.
Democrats
and freedom lovers throughout the world have used democracy and peaceful means
to create their velvet revolution, their jasmine revolution, their spring
revolution. For Gambia, this is time for our AUTUMN REVOLUTION. Be part of it; such that in the future glory of
a prosperous and meritocratic Gambia under a UDP unity government, you too will
say to your progeny, I was there on 24th November 2011, I was on the
side of Gambia, I voted for Darboe and for a UDP led unity government, and you can be rest assured that your sacred votes will be protected and your will
enforced without hesitation or doubt!
Fellow
Gambians, now I ask you:
Do
the Zambians love their country more than we do?
Are
the Sierra Leoneans wiser than we are?
And
our Senegalese brothers and sisters, are they better than us?
Yet
none of their leaders defeated in elections behaved with the venality,
vengefulness and viciousness that have characterised the Yahya Jammeh
government.
Make
no mistake and allow no one to fool you; Yahya
Jammeh CAN BE and WILL BE DEFEATED
on 24th November 2011.
MY VALUES, PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES
Fellow
Gambians,
I
speak softly and quietly, in public and in private. That is my nature, and I am
at peace with myself. I speak softly and quietly, to prince and pauper, to men
and women, to young and old. As your president, I shall remain to my character,
and will continue to respect and honour every human being that Allah has
created.
Some
of you may not like my calm and collected manner, but I have to be honest with
you; that part of my character will never change. As your president, I shall
not start yelling, berating and haranguing officials, elders or political
opponents. I shall always remain calm, collected and respectful to everyone. I
am at peace with the character Allah has given me.
My
fellow Gambians, just as some of you doubted the power and potency of your
single individual vote, there are some people who may have mistaken my calm
disposition as sign of weakness and timidity. For those people, I again beg you
to lend me your ears and listen very carefully.
Fellow
Gambians, it is true that there are certain phenomena that I Ousainu Numukunda
Darboe, am afraid of. Yes, I am afraid of God; I am afraid of dishonesty; I am
afraid of treachery.
I
am afraid of God, because the Almighty is our creator and wise people have
instructed from since I was child, that the more you fear God, the closer you
are to His Eternal Mercy. Yes, I fear God.
I
am afraid of dishonesty; the telling of lies, the payment of bribes; the
committing of fraud. In public and private affairs, dishonesty is a fundamental
cause of mistrust, conflict and retrogression. Yes, I fear dishonesty.
I
am afraid of treachery; breach of duty, criminal plotting, subversion of law
and order. In community and national affairs, treachery undermines the fabric
of civilised organisation of social relationships. Yes, I fear treachery.
But,
let me make it very clear that I am not afraid of any fellow human being; I am
not afraid of challenging and telling the truth to those in power. I have done this throughout my life and I
will continue to do so as your President. I am not afraid to make tough choices
for the good of our nation as that is what leadership requires and I am ready
and willing to deliver on that for you at any time.
Fellow
Gambians,
If
you look at the population of our country, many people fall under the class of
vulnerable people. This is why my political philosophy and my personal values
are so closely linked. Having enlightened values is not a sign of weakness. On
the contrary, it is what I believe every modern nation should have.
My
principles and values on society and politics are not alien or exotic, they are
rooted in the type of upbringing I share with many of you fellow citizens. I
learned my values and developed my principles from the elders and madrasas of
Niani Dobo Karanbantang; from the dedicated teachers of St Augustine’s High
School and Gambia High School Sixth Form in the City of Banjul; from my studies
of humanities and the liberal arts, and my training in law and jurisprudence in
Universities in West Africa and North America; and from my 35 years of
experience working to uphold justice in our country and society.
Fellow
Gambians, a Darboe presidency and unity government shall be based on five
principles:
1. An enterprising economy; whereby
national resources, systems and processes are used to promote innovation and
creativity aimed at the development of commercial and social enterprises and
the growth in sustainable jobs for citizens.
2. A meritocratic polity; whereby
appointments and promotions in the public services are based purely on ability
and aptitude, knowledge and experience, commitment and competence.
3. An egalitarian society; whereby genuine
equal opportunities are afforded to all citizens, irrespective of ethnicity,
caste, religion, class, social or cultural background.
4. A facilitative State; whereby the
resources of the country and the systems and processes of the civil service and
parastatal bodies are focussed on giving citizens the opportunities, guidance
and assistance for the pursuit of socio-economic and other productive ventures
and activities.
5. An ethical culture; whereby the tenets
of fairness, justice, civic and personal responsibility shall be entrenched in
every aspect of society.
Fellow
Gambians, a Darboe presidency and unity government shall implement policies,
based on our five principles. After 17 years of Yahya Jammeh’s misrule, our
country needs a great deal of work. As such, UDP and its alliance partners are
ready with a reform programme, to be implemented within our first 100 days of
government. The priority policies of our unity government are as follow:
1. Restructuring of the Ministries of
State; facilitating fundamental reform on agriculture, employment, education,
health, power and water. Today, we have published a full statement on
Ministerial restructuring.
2. Constitutional Reform; including
introduction of presidential term limit of two 5-year terms, and reduction of
the president’s power in relation to dissolution of the National Assembly.
3. Social Enterprise and Job Creation;
including development of cooperative and social franchising schemes in
agriculture, and involvement of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in capital
projects and the maintenance of physical infrastructure.
4. Civil Service Reform; including salary
and productivity review and programme for mobile phone and electronic-based
government and public services.
5. Disbanding of the National Intelligence
Agency; including reform of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the
police force and the end to harassment and intimidation of ordinary
citizens. .
6. Diaspora Engagement; enabling Gambians
abroad to engage more easily in the productive and development activities in
the country.
7. Foreign Policy Reform; including
establishment of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China
(PRC), and to end Gambia’s status as a pariah state in the world community.
Fellow
Gambians,
There
are some of you who are impressed with buildings Yahya Jammeh has erected and
are satisfied that he has brought development to the country. I too have seen
the buildings and projects and do not claim that he has been entirely idle.
Yet, I challenge you to wake up to the fact that Yahya Jammeh is a cause of
Gambia’s underdevelopment.
Just
think for yourselves; here we have an unsophisticated and ill equipped
President who has distanced our country from the rich and civilised nations and
institutions of the world; who restricts projects to a small coterie of his
Gambian and foreign cronies; who intimidates and dismisses able technocrats and
professionals at will; who achieved nothing of substance before he used force
to overthrow a legitimate government; who now claims to be personally wealthy
beyond comprehension.
Think
about it; if this man can claim to have achieved some development, how much
more can a unity government achieve, with a team of the most able and talented
Gambian professionals, working within the enlightened development principles we
have introduced you to? Think about what talented Gambians within international
organisations and corporations are achieving for other countries. Look at the
commitment and achievements of Gambians at home and abroad, despite the current
challenges resulting from Yahya Jammeh’s misrule. Think about the goodwill that
awaits us from around the world.
Fellow
Gambians,
Let
us take the right step on 24th November 2011 by electing a unity
government. This will open up a whole new world of opportunities and resources
for development.
And
for those schools he has built, do they have good teachers? Do they produce
excellent results? We all know that the answer is ‘No’; that is why private
schools are thriving and we scrimp and save to send our children to fee-paying
schools; but alas, most citizens are too poor to choose that option. Under my
presidency, public primary and secondary education will be free and quality of
education improved to meet the needs of the 21st century.
And
those hospitals and clinics he has built, do we get quality medical attention?
Do we get free or affordable medicines? We all know that the answer is ‘No’. If
you can afford it, you go to private clinics, but alas, most citizens are too
poor to choose that option. And then he proclaims to me a medicine man,
providing treatment that he does not even belief in enough to use for his own
family. Fellow Gambians, enough is enough. Let us make the change we deserve.
On
the appointed day of 24th November 2011, go into that solitary
pooling booth; with your God, your conscience and the future of your country at
stake, make your choice; continuation of tyranny under Yahya Jammeh, or a unity
government under Ousainu Darboe. It will be only you, your God, your conscience
and your country.
For
all of you who did not vote at the 2006 elections, I plead to you; go out in
your thousands and vote for a unity government. This is your pact with destiny.
You are the ones who will decide the very future of our beloved land. This is a
solemn call by your nation; go out and vote and use the power of your vote to
ensure a brighter future for the people of The Gambia and the generations yet
unborn.
Fellow
Gambians, you do not have to attend meetings and rallies of UDP and its
alliance parties; you do not have to display our posters; you do not have to be
a member of our party. Your duty on 24th November 2011, is to use
your secret vote to ensure that you are part of the positive change sweeping
across the world. With your own deed, you can end the curse of Yahya Jammeh,
the wicked culture of deprivation and depravation. Your vote is what will bring
about the meritocratic unity government under my presidency.
For
APRC supporters, I know and understand the predicament some of you face. Some
of you are under peer pressure, some of you fear that you will suffer the wrath
of a vengeful Yahya Jammeh, if you do not go out and support him. You too have
a role to play. You can dance all you want in the streets; you can flatter Yahya
Jammeh with all manner of empty titles, but you too have a secret vote; you too
know right from wrong; you too have a conscience. At the solitary moment of the
pooling booth, remember your God and side with your conscience and free
yourselves from the trap of Yahya Jammeh and his APRC machine. Vote for a unity
government under Ousainu Darboe, because you will be voting for the betterment
of the future of all of us. I have said
it before and I will repeat it; in the unity government I lead, there will be
no retribution, revenge or recriminations; instead, there will be abundance of
appetite for reconciliation, united purpose and collective action.
For
the loyal supporters of UDP and the alliance party, this is time for
steadfastness and discipline as a movement that will deliver development with
dignity to all citizens of the country. This is the time to welcome our
brothers and sisters into the unity for national interest, as many of those who
do not attend our meetings will still listen to reason and will, with the Grace
of Allah, vote for unity government on 24th November 2011. This is
time for magnanimity, coupled with single-minded purposefulness, to ensure that
through the power of democracy and the potency of citizen votes, Yahya Jammeh’s
government is finally terminated, and a new era of development with dignity
begins, including all Gambians irrespective of their party affiliation.
Let
us all pray that the Almighty Allah helps and guides us towards a peaceful
change of government and to help us deliver DEVELOPMENT with DIGNITY. The Gambia deserves better.
Long
Live The UDP Led Alliance!!
God
Bless the Republic of The Gambia!!
(Reporting
by Sulayman Darboe, editing by Fatou Gaye)
Publisher;
United Democratic Party"
The nominations for November 24th presidential elections took place with the usual braggado. Yahya Jammeh for the APRC, Ousainou Darbo for the UDP and Hamat Bah is running as an independent candidate after resigning from his party ...NRP.
Yahya withdrew some money from the account he has with Allah's Bank to purchase 46 new pick up trucks for his goons to use in traversing the lenght and breath of the Gambia, cajoling, insulting and beating up oppositon sympathizers.
The results barring a miracle is glaringly obvious for all to see. With the charade and intransigence that PDOIS pull to squander away opposition unity, Yahya will win another election aided by a brutal political atmosphere.This is how dicatorships strive for ions.
Yahya withdrew some money from the account he has with Allah's Bank to purchase 46 new pick up trucks for his goons to use in traversing the lenght and breath of the Gambia, cajoling, insulting and beating up oppositon sympathizers.
The results barring a miracle is glaringly obvious for all to see. With the charade and intransigence that PDOIS pull to squander away opposition unity, Yahya will win another election aided by a brutal political atmosphere.This is how dicatorships strive for ions.
With the November 24th presidential elections around the corner and nary a chance of unity in opposition ranks, save for a charade of a convention that is the brainchild of Halifa Sallah. I called it a charade because the outcome is clear for all to see. It is nothing but a vindictive attempt to derail the power of the UDP. Halifa hasn't been helpful in trying to bring about opposition unity to uproot a tyrant. Starting with that ridiculous agenda 2011 document he authored, calling for inter-party primaries. He is of late revolved that into a convention of disparate entities. The man is smart enough to know that he is throwing a monkey wrench to derail the whole process.
But fear not. When all is said and done, the man who calls himself the conscience of the Gambia, compared himself to Mandela and Tutu saved his worst venom for his countrymen, living in the diaspora, who had the gall to call him out on his inconsistencies and how they are hurting the Gambia. He took to his political party's mouthpiece (Foroyaa) to say the following in an interview:
My deduction from that quote is that diasporan Gambians, sustaining the economic wellbeing of a large percentage of the population, have no say in the political environment that exists, because they have no skin in the game. It is the classic hallmark of a thin-skinned politician. Halifa will like us to continue supporting families in that country financially but stay out of the politics as long as we are not willing and in some cases unable to be on the ground, form political parties or join his disciples.
Halifa Sallah, as much as I hate to say this, is the obstacle to opposition unity in the Gambia. Yahya is the beneficiary of his intransigence and Gambians will continue to live under tyranny for years to come. That is a fitting cap to years of PDOIS politics in the Gambia.
But fear not. When all is said and done, the man who calls himself the conscience of the Gambia, compared himself to Mandela and Tutu saved his worst venom for his countrymen, living in the diaspora, who had the gall to call him out on his inconsistencies and how they are hurting the Gambia. He took to his political party's mouthpiece (Foroyaa) to say the following in an interview:
If people who consider themselves competent refuse to assume their national responsibility then they should not caricature the so-called lesser endowed persons who stand up to be counted. The people who are failing Gambian society are those Gambians in the Diaspora who pen their days and nights to attack those who are making the supreme sacrifice to combat impunity at home. They do not come home to establish political parties to uproot the regime but do not reward the little others are doing even if it is not enough.
Halifa Sallah, as much as I hate to say this, is the obstacle to opposition unity in the Gambia. Yahya is the beneficiary of his intransigence and Gambians will continue to live under tyranny for years to come. That is a fitting cap to years of PDOIS politics in the Gambia.
Typical Washington weather. Drizzle and un-relenting clouds.
I finally went with the new blogger template. I have resisted the temptation for so long, but had to finally acquiesce. My twitter feed contains most of my rants these days, thus the widget's presence on my blog. Happy trails.
It is fifteen years since my old man passed away and his memory is fonder as ever. How I wish I can use this Gmail feature to wish him a very merry father's day. Rest in peace Pops. We missed you.
The title of this post (don't say that) is the favorite one-liner of a certain three-year-old child when grown-ups say anything she doesn't approve of. It takes you back a bit and forces you to reflect on your utterances. Furthermore, it forces you to think twice before you say things in her presence. You are forewarned that you will be checked.
So what am I babbling about you asked? It is the machismo, no the utter disrespect directed towards opposition leaders in the Gambia by some of their compatriots living abroad. Some of the discussion about the opposition leaders— on websites, mailing lists, and especially online radio— has degenerated into rhetorical devices that also shut down the conversation before it can begin. It has to do with the view some hold that Lawyer Darboe is weak or that Halifa Sallah is a megalomaniac, who thinks he is smarter than everyone else.
In entrenched democracies, these characteristics are pale for the course. But in political environments, like we have in the Gambia, where the need for opposition unity is a necessity for any headwind against Yahya's authoritarian machinery, these arguments will provoke heated reactions and inflame the tender relationship between the parties that need to come together.
It is my fervent hope that anyone who is a flame thrower will stop and consider how their words impact people who put their lives and livelihoods on the line opposing a dictator where it matters the most... on the ground. They are human. Have family and friends who read and yes heard the hurtful things said about them. And it does impact them. Sometimes excruciatingly viscerally. And it is not even remotely necessary to cause them such pain. And their participation in politics and in political dialogue should never be the source of such pain. Particularly not from people who share the same vision. This is not a plea for censorship, but it is a plea for sensitivity and consideration. It is an attempt to raise consciousness. And it is an attempt to improve the quality of political dialogue such that controversial arguments can be made and challenged without them descending into personal animosities. Words matter. Our choices about words matter.
So the next time you feel like calling someone out of their name, think of that three year old's one liner "don't say that". Try it, it works...
Gambia ... a pictorial from the Colonial days
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Friday, May 13, 2011
The National Archives of the United Kingdom has a flicker account with interesting photos taken during the colonial reign. The picture above is a representation. You can check them out by clicking on the link below:
If the headline sounds hyper and attention-grabbing, well that is my intent. For starters, my grandfather (my father’s father) did not fight in any war that I know of. However, the headline is not in and of itself wrong. My grandfather’s granny fought an epic battle in the village of Saba, in defense of his liberty and that of generations that follow and continue to be of his lineage today. This is why I used the heading of my grandfather’s war. It is, in essence, a shortening of the family tree. However, in this age of URL shortening in cyberspace, who is going to nit-pick at my usage of the term, besides, I just took so much time explaining the rationale.
Back to my grandfather shall we? He was a warrior in defense of liberty and a lesser man will succumb to the tyranny of the majority and accept subjugation. Not Duwa Banna Ceesay. He wouldn’t have any of it and in a split second, he put his life and that of his clan on the line. It reminds me of a saying that is attributed to old Patrick Henry of New Hampshire; “Give me Liberty or Give me death”.
The story goes that our ancestor who first settled in the village of Saba was a native of Salikenne …a village located in what is today central Badibu district. It is approximately five to six miles from Saba. He got into a fight with a group of men on the outskirts of town and end up killing one of them. Fearful of the retribution he will face if he went back to the village [Salikenne], he decided to flee and seek refugee with his cousin in the village of NjabaKunda, a few miles away from Salikenne. His cousin advised him to move west to the village of Saba and seek refugee with Konkono, the elder of the founding clan that inhabits that settlement. He will be spared if found living with Konkono, since his clan has “dancuto” [a joking bond] with Salikenne. Dancuto to this day is very sacrosanct in relationships and communal harmony. That is how Sano Ceesay settled in Saba. He was given land and married one of Konkono’s daughters. His settlement in Saba came to be known as “CeesayKunda Ba”. There are numerous Ceesay Kundas, but this is the original settlement of our ancestry in Saba. It is nestled between Suso Kunda and Drammeh kunda to this day.
Sano was blessed with children. He prospered in Saba. In those days, the more children you have, the more farmhands, hence productivity increases. His success reached an old friend of his in Salikenne, who eventually came to visit him and decide to stay as well. That friend of Sano’s is the ancestor of Today’s Drammehs in Saba. Drammeh Kunda today is located on land allocated to their ancestry from my ancestors. It is bewildering that due to his business success, the Drammeh friend turns foe and tries to rewrite history. His offspring to this day continue on this path of deceit. They have a superiority complex about them and go to the length of not marrying within my clan. The stupidity of caste lives within their ignoramus lot. Unfortunately, that is not isolated to them; it is very prevalent in Saba. The bigotry that is involved is breathtaking.
Sano lived a free man in Saba till his death. He never ventured back to his native Salikenne. That is where my grandfather’s war starts. Upon Sano’s death, the Janteh Kunda Kabilo decided that, since Sano was spared his liberty and didn’t pay for killing a man back in Salikenne (in self-defense by the way), they are going to make his children pay for it, by forcing them to work for their clan or they will unleash the wrath of Salikenne upon Sano’s children. It is insidious blackmail for lack of a better word. Duwa Banna, the eldest of Sano’s children and the heir to the clan upon his father’s death told the elders of the Janteh Kunda kabilo, who brought farm implements with them to shove it up where the sun don’t shine. Bullies for ages have glass jaws. They were not expecting the resolute stance Duwa Banna took. Taken aback, they re-group and called on their allies in the neighboring villages to confront what they termed intransigence on my grandfathers’ part. It never occurred to them that my people have a God-given right to liberty and self-determination. What ensued was an epic battle in the village of Saba. Duwa Banna ordered his men to fight with all they’ve got. He positioned himself by a lake located and still located behind the cemetery called “Buukay Daala”. It is more of a pond these days… the effects of erosion and nature taking its course. From this vantage point, he waited for his men to capture and bring the captives from the other side. He submerged their heads in the glistening waters of the freshwater lake; inducing the fear of drowning in them; a crude form of waterboarding for sure. The result is instant diarrhea. Extreme? You bet. But, extremism in defense of liberty as Barry Goldwater lamented, is no vice. By the end of the battle (when the other side surrendered) the lake was polluted with feces, thus the term Buukay Daala. Nine Alikalos were arrested by the colonial government from all over Badibou for the role they played, in trying to subjugate my clan. It is believed that they were sent to Sierra Leone for incarceration and nobody ever heard a thing about or from them. They end up like fart in the wind; lost to a cruel cause. The Gambia in those days was governed by a governor-general stationed in Freetown on behalf of the British crown.
Duwa Banna was offered the alikaloship of Saba after this event. He turned it down; reasoning that all he was fighting for, is his dignity and that of his clan. Power was not part of his calculus. The bad blood from this event, continues to this day, albeit, in a subtle way. It is never in your face kind of bigotry, but we all know the under currents. The phrase I know it, when I see it describe the conundrum that comes into play when you try to describe the bigotry that happens in Saba to this day. The comedy of ignorance still pervades a community that thinks they are better than their fellow villagers based on ancient feuds. Inter-marriage is virtually non-existent in Saba, there are two cemeteries in the village and yet people faked smiles at one another in communal gatherings. The hypocrisy of it all is nauseating. To add insult to injury, the younger generations devoid of any knowledge of Saba’s history are taking to cyber space, to spread made up stories, stoking their own egos. I cannot for the life of me, let that go unchallenged. If Duwa Banna in the face of thuggery and violence stood up, fought for liberty, and what is right, the least I could do is turn my computer on and set the record straight on the history of a village we all call home. This is not the most flattering history, but it is our history. And history someone said is prologue, thus we have to be eternally vigilant. It is afterall the price of liberty.
Back to my grandfather shall we? He was a warrior in defense of liberty and a lesser man will succumb to the tyranny of the majority and accept subjugation. Not Duwa Banna Ceesay. He wouldn’t have any of it and in a split second, he put his life and that of his clan on the line. It reminds me of a saying that is attributed to old Patrick Henry of New Hampshire; “Give me Liberty or Give me death”.
The story goes that our ancestor who first settled in the village of Saba was a native of Salikenne …a village located in what is today central Badibu district. It is approximately five to six miles from Saba. He got into a fight with a group of men on the outskirts of town and end up killing one of them. Fearful of the retribution he will face if he went back to the village [Salikenne], he decided to flee and seek refugee with his cousin in the village of NjabaKunda, a few miles away from Salikenne. His cousin advised him to move west to the village of Saba and seek refugee with Konkono, the elder of the founding clan that inhabits that settlement. He will be spared if found living with Konkono, since his clan has “dancuto” [a joking bond] with Salikenne. Dancuto to this day is very sacrosanct in relationships and communal harmony. That is how Sano Ceesay settled in Saba. He was given land and married one of Konkono’s daughters. His settlement in Saba came to be known as “CeesayKunda Ba”. There are numerous Ceesay Kundas, but this is the original settlement of our ancestry in Saba. It is nestled between Suso Kunda and Drammeh kunda to this day.
Sano was blessed with children. He prospered in Saba. In those days, the more children you have, the more farmhands, hence productivity increases. His success reached an old friend of his in Salikenne, who eventually came to visit him and decide to stay as well. That friend of Sano’s is the ancestor of Today’s Drammehs in Saba. Drammeh Kunda today is located on land allocated to their ancestry from my ancestors. It is bewildering that due to his business success, the Drammeh friend turns foe and tries to rewrite history. His offspring to this day continue on this path of deceit. They have a superiority complex about them and go to the length of not marrying within my clan. The stupidity of caste lives within their ignoramus lot. Unfortunately, that is not isolated to them; it is very prevalent in Saba. The bigotry that is involved is breathtaking.
Sano lived a free man in Saba till his death. He never ventured back to his native Salikenne. That is where my grandfather’s war starts. Upon Sano’s death, the Janteh Kunda Kabilo decided that, since Sano was spared his liberty and didn’t pay for killing a man back in Salikenne (in self-defense by the way), they are going to make his children pay for it, by forcing them to work for their clan or they will unleash the wrath of Salikenne upon Sano’s children. It is insidious blackmail for lack of a better word. Duwa Banna, the eldest of Sano’s children and the heir to the clan upon his father’s death told the elders of the Janteh Kunda kabilo, who brought farm implements with them to shove it up where the sun don’t shine. Bullies for ages have glass jaws. They were not expecting the resolute stance Duwa Banna took. Taken aback, they re-group and called on their allies in the neighboring villages to confront what they termed intransigence on my grandfathers’ part. It never occurred to them that my people have a God-given right to liberty and self-determination. What ensued was an epic battle in the village of Saba. Duwa Banna ordered his men to fight with all they’ve got. He positioned himself by a lake located and still located behind the cemetery called “Buukay Daala”. It is more of a pond these days… the effects of erosion and nature taking its course. From this vantage point, he waited for his men to capture and bring the captives from the other side. He submerged their heads in the glistening waters of the freshwater lake; inducing the fear of drowning in them; a crude form of waterboarding for sure. The result is instant diarrhea. Extreme? You bet. But, extremism in defense of liberty as Barry Goldwater lamented, is no vice. By the end of the battle (when the other side surrendered) the lake was polluted with feces, thus the term Buukay Daala. Nine Alikalos were arrested by the colonial government from all over Badibou for the role they played, in trying to subjugate my clan. It is believed that they were sent to Sierra Leone for incarceration and nobody ever heard a thing about or from them. They end up like fart in the wind; lost to a cruel cause. The Gambia in those days was governed by a governor-general stationed in Freetown on behalf of the British crown.
Duwa Banna was offered the alikaloship of Saba after this event. He turned it down; reasoning that all he was fighting for, is his dignity and that of his clan. Power was not part of his calculus. The bad blood from this event, continues to this day, albeit, in a subtle way. It is never in your face kind of bigotry, but we all know the under currents. The phrase I know it, when I see it describe the conundrum that comes into play when you try to describe the bigotry that happens in Saba to this day. The comedy of ignorance still pervades a community that thinks they are better than their fellow villagers based on ancient feuds. Inter-marriage is virtually non-existent in Saba, there are two cemeteries in the village and yet people faked smiles at one another in communal gatherings. The hypocrisy of it all is nauseating. To add insult to injury, the younger generations devoid of any knowledge of Saba’s history are taking to cyber space, to spread made up stories, stoking their own egos. I cannot for the life of me, let that go unchallenged. If Duwa Banna in the face of thuggery and violence stood up, fought for liberty, and what is right, the least I could do is turn my computer on and set the record straight on the history of a village we all call home. This is not the most flattering history, but it is our history. And history someone said is prologue, thus we have to be eternally vigilant. It is afterall the price of liberty.
The face of tyranny. Gadhafi and his family are losing control of what they see as their personal hacienda. The wind of freedom blows and I wish it blows towards what was the smiling coast of Africa. ... Gambia. Lord knows we need some popular uprising in that country.
I hope he (Gadhafi) goes and soon. God speed Libyan patriots. Take your country back. Gadhafi has been nothing, but a divisive figure on the continent of Africa. The world and Africa for that matter is better off without his destructive activities.
I hope he (Gadhafi) goes and soon. God speed Libyan patriots. Take your country back. Gadhafi has been nothing, but a divisive figure on the continent of Africa. The world and Africa for that matter is better off without his destructive activities.
Thank you Egypt. After Eighteen Long days and nights, you rid youselves of a thirty year tyranny. This reminds me of the old adage "Freedom is never free". Somebody has to fight for it, demand it and unfortunately pay the ultimate price.
If only Gambians can muster this kind of courage and take to the streets of Banjul, our sixteen year nightmare will be over in a moment. Can we?
If only Gambians can muster this kind of courage and take to the streets of Banjul, our sixteen year nightmare will be over in a moment. Can we?
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