I have not posted here since the downfall of the dictator who was breathing down the collective neck of Gambians was pushed into exile. It has been a whirlwind since. The democratic space has widened. Press freedom has seen a monumental improvement, however, corruption has increased and taken a life of its own. It is literally killing our people indiscriminately. Until we get that under control soon, we may find ourselves in another conflict of our own making.
Even in the event of death and mourning, Yaya Jammeh is not magnanimous. Case in point this: H/T Kaironews
Sad news coming from Senegal and the Gambia that Yahya Jammeh has given instructions that the remains of the late Buba Baldeh, former Member of Parliament and Minister of Youth and Sports and Culture during the PPP era, will not be allowed to enter the Gambia to be buried. Buba Baleh’s corpse and entourage were stopped by military personnel at the border and prevented from entering Basse Mansajang the home town of the late Buba Baldeh. By this action, Yahya Jammeh has once again demonstrated his callousness, pettiness, and lack of respect for people in genera and even the dead.Our village idiot cannot be mollified. His intransigence knows no bounds. Denying a family from according their loved one a fitting burial, because the deceased happens to be a political opponent, is the height of cruelty. When you think, Yaya Jammeh couldn't stoop so low, he turns around and blows your mind with another cruelty. What have Gambians done to deserve this monster? Your guess is as good as mine.
This is my two cents on the Iraq conflict. I have written about it
on these pages in the heydays of the US invasion of Mesopotamia. I have not
been blogging for a while now, but this Huffingtonpost headline gave me the impetus to write down what i believe
to be the reason behind the ISIS surge in Iraq. Here goes.
ISIS and groups like it are far more dangerous to the United States than some ragtag terrorist group in Yemen or Mali, primarily due to the economic importance of Iraqi oil. But no amount of drone strike (as Maliki is asking the US to do) will make a difference here, as the problem is primarily political.
Also, I think it is reasonable to ask, why it is that the united states have such a dismal record in training foreign troops. The performance of US-trained forces in these hot spots has mostly been distinguished for ineffectiveness, abandoning their equipment and running away. This might be evidence that an army's effectiveness is not only in the equipment they carry, but depends on the intangibles. Perhaps, we train them in our ways, which poorer nations cannot support logistically. Either way, we should re-examine this question before committing to doing something about another conflict.
DUGA is the acronym for Democratic Union of Gambian Activists. It is pretty well put together video. I particularly love the sound track.
This was back in September of 2012 when emotions were still raw over the murder of prisoners in the Gambia without due process. I am one of the organizers of this seattle protest. Due to the workload involved in the project I am working on, I barely have any time left to pontificate on issues. However, I take to my twitter feed to express my indignation or support of issues on any given day. The 140 character nature of twitter gives me the opportunity to vent or support ideas as they happen. Check the button of the page for my twitter feed. If you happen to be on twitter, you can follow me at @oceesay.
The village Idiot's dictate continues....
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Monday, June 18, 2012
This sort of dictates makes my blood boil. The village idiot (Yahya Jammeh) is capitalizing on the cowardly nature of our people. Yep, the joke is on the rest of us. We've never been able to vote freely, now you can't worship the way you want either. History is prologue and folks in Gunjur will succumb to the dictates and leave it in the hands of Allah...the usual way it is done in The Gambia. See the daily observer story below
The Office of the President has issued a press release, informing the general public that no Ziyareh is allowed to take place in the coastal village of Gunjur, any time soon or in the future. The release reads: Since matters relating to religious affairs fall under the purview of the Office of the President, the general public is hereby informed that no Ziyareh is allowed to take place in Gunjur, any time soon or in the future. Any persons or group found contravening these instructions will face the full force of the law.
Malcolm X: Make It Plain (Full PBS Documentary)
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Thursday, April 05, 2012Bullies in Saba have their Comeuppance
1 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Thursday, March 01, 2012
Bullies for eons have glass jaws... all it takes, is for someone, to stand up to their tactics and their whole scheming fall apart like a wet rag. This is exactly what happened when Njoku decided to take a bunch of scheming bullies to the high court, for infringing on his rights. The village development committee, run by a bunch of schemers in Saba, thought they could get away with arbitrarily fining an innocent man out of pure spite. If we let this bullying stand, they will continue to levy ridiculous fines against our family members one at a time, for issues that don't constitute crimes in the Gambia.
Njoku is my hero. He is the antithesis of that old Edmund Burke adage "that all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing".
On a personal note, I will part with my last farthings to sue these bullies whenever they pull this sort of ignoble stunts. Maybe that Nincompoop of a Seyfoo (Fafanding Kinteh), who made it a habit to insult and intimidate folks in lower Badibu will learn a thing or two. He is gonna get his behind sued in a minute as well. He is forwarned.
I am reproducing the whole Judgement below...Courtesy of the Observer Newspaper:
High Court overturns district tribunal’s judgement
"Justice Edrissa F. Mbai of the High Court in Banjul, yesterday, 29th February 2012 set aside the judgment delivered by the Lower Baddibu District Tribunal in the matter of the District Tribunals Act and in the matter of an appeal by one Njoku Sisay against the alkalo of Saaba Village as first respondent, five Kabilo heads of Saaba Village in the Lower Baddibu District, as the 2nd respondent and the Attorney General as the 3rd defendant.
Delivering judgment yesterday morning, the presiding judge, Justice Edrissa F. Mbai disclosed that the appellant was fined D7, 000 in default to serve 6 months imprisonment with hard labour for failure or refusal to participate in the cleaning exercise locally known as set-settal, organised by the village. After paying the fine of D7, 000, the appellant filed an appeal against the said judgment before the court. The notice of appeal, dated the 21st October 2011, was filed on the 25th October 2011. The grounds of appeal are: The tribunal did not have jurisdiction to try the appellant for what did not constitute an offence in law; and the appellant did not have a fair hearing.
The prayer sought before the court was to order that the judgment of the Lower Baddibu District tribunal be set aside. According to the certified true copies of the record of proceedings the appellant was defiant to honour the call of the Alkalo and the Kabilo heads and the VDC.
The records of proceedings states “…the Alkalo called for the clearance of the weeds in the health centre on the request of the nurses there. All those who were absent were listed and a penalty was instituted against them of which Njoku was part of. We called them to come and others didn’t including Njoku.”
There are two issues that needed to be determined in the appeal. The first issue is whether the district tribunal has any jurisdiction to try what in law does not amount to an offence. The second issue is whether based on the record of proceedings the trial was conducted fairly.
On the first issue, it is the duty of the respondents to establish that legally they can bring the action they took against the appellant. The participation in the national cleansing exercise, which is initiated by His Excellency the president of the Republic is indeed a civic duty. It requires the commitment and total participation of everybody because the whole objective of this exercise is to have a clean and healthy environment, the primary beneficiaries being the people who live in such communities and villages. The importance of cleanliness goes back to the biblical principle that man must be clean first before he can pray to his Creator.
However, although the appellant’s refusal or failure to participate in the national cleaning exercise, organised in his locality may be described as a defiant conduct forwards authority, or even unpatriotic, so long as there is no law making it an offence his conduct cannot constitute to an offence. His conduct can only become an offence if there is a law passed by the National Assembly with the blessing of the president expressly saying so.
The presiding judge however stated that he had not been referred to any law of this land passed by the National Assembly that gives district tribunals or any court such powers as to impose a fine or in default to serve terms of imprisonment to any person who has failed or refused to take part in a cleaning exercise. District tribunals like any court, do not create laws, they interpret laws that have already been passed by parliament.
The second issue is whether based on the record of proceedings the trial was conducted fairly. On the face of the record of proceedings the plaintiff is the Alkalo and Kabilo heads of Saaba Village. The plaintiff’s witnesses are listed as: Alhaji Tabora Danso, Alhaji Kasamanding Singhateh, Bakary Makalo, Nfamara Balajo and Baba Janteh Singhateh. The defendant (the appellant) called two witnesses; namely Fafanding Danso and Kebba Janteh Singhateh.
It is crucially important that the record of proceedings reflect what actually transpired during the trial particularly the testimonies of all the witnesses that have testified. The record failed to show the individual testimonies of each of those witnesses and whether there was any cross-examination followed there after or not.
On the top paragraph of page 3 of the record of proceedings it states, “in this case all the witnesses said the same thing about Njoku’s refusal to attend meetings, set-settal and they also stressed his refusal to pay a fine of D50 imposed by the VDC for those who were defaulters to participate in the village work.”
The duty of the court to record the testimonies of all the witnesses that have testified have been breached. The presiding Judge said he cannot for instance look at the record of proceedings and refer to the testimonies of the witnesses of either side and whether there was an opportunity given to have such witnesses cross-examined. The whole record consists of summary of the evidence of the plaintiff and two of the defendant’s.
The record of proceedings showed that all the 5 witnesses of the plaintiff and two of the defendant’s testified the same day that judgment was delivered, on the 29th September 2011. “The whole trial lasted one day. It is said that justice delayed is justice denied, but equally justice rushed is also justice infringed.
The impression amply demonstrated by the district tribunal in hearing seven witnesses and delivering their judgment on that very day suggested that the testimonies of the witnesses could not have been properly evaluated and analyzed,” stated the presiding judge. He added that it also showed the tribunal had already concluded in their thinking that the appellant was guilty of an offence which is not known to law.
He went on: “The judgment was delivered on the 29th September 2011. The notice of appeal, dated 21st October 2011 was filed on the 25th October 2011. Therefore this appeal was filed within time and not the contrary, as counsel for the respondent state in his brief”.
The judge stated that he could not see how the issue of forced labour can be applied in this case. Since there are no issues of such, he shall disregard it as irrelevant and of no moment. The cleaning exercise is not covered by S.20(3)(e) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, 1997. Even if it does it never gave district tribunals or any court the power to impose any form of punishment for failure or refusal to participate in such exercise.
The issue of whether the appellant’s failure to state if his ground of appeal was based on error of law or fact, or misdirection of law or fact leading to the appellant not having a fair hearing, could be noticed in the record of proceedings. As stated by counsel for the appellant, the main issue in this appeal is whether or not the district tribunal has any jurisdiction to act as they did in imposing a fine against the appellant for what is described as the appellant’s defiance to honor the call of the Alkalo and the Kabilo heads and the VDC.
Having considered the issues raised, the judge found as fact, that there is no law which makes it an offence for failure or refusal to participate in a cleaning exercise; that the district tribunal acted without any jurisdiction when they fined the appellant D7000 in default to serve 6 months imprisonment with hard labour; that the individual testimonies of witnesses were not recorded thus violating the rules of natural justice for the appellant’s right to a fair hearing; that the record of proceedings show the trial lasted one day suggesting that the entire evidence could not have been properly and carefully considered before the judgment was delivered; and that since the district tribunal lacked any jurisdiction to try the appellant for an offence not known to law their decision is null and void.
In light of the foregoing, the judgment of the Lower Baddibu District Tribunal, delivered on the 29th of September 2011 is thereby set aside.At that juncture, counsel for the appellant, E.M Sissoho applied for cost but counsel for the first and second respondent, Borry Touray, submitted that this was a criminal trial in the Lower Court and that it is not the practice in this jurisdiction that cost is awarded in criminal cases. He therefore applied that parties bear their own cost. Sissoho in his response disagreed with Touray’s submission and remarked that what transpired cannot be described as a criminal trial but an abuse of authority.
Justice Mbai disclosed that cost is in the discretion of the court and he therefore awarded cost of D20, 000 against the 1st and 2nd respondents. He noted that the said court is on record on having struck out the appellant’s case and awarding cost of D5, 000 to the respondents, which was settled. Author: Sidiq Asemota"
'
Forty pages of hogwash from mercenary judges. It belies the mind, how intelligent people, trained in the noble profession of law, could suppress their conscience, to deliver injustice.
Forty pages of hogwash from mercenary judges. It belies the mind, how intelligent people, trained in the noble profession of law, could suppress their conscience, to deliver injustice.
Senegalese are still demonstrating against Abdoulaye Wade's power grab. The senile octogenerian is trying to run for a third term. He contracted with a US law firm to provide legal support to justify his attempt at a third term. He is an excerpt of the correspondence:
Dear President Wade:
You can read the whole correspondence here.
It is indeed an honor to consult with you and to provide representation for The Office
ofthe President with respect to your efforts to seek a third tenia as President of The Republic of
Senegal. 1 will lead a team of lawyers and professionals at McKenna Long & Aldridge
(hereinafter "MLA") who have been assembled lo research and analyze your authority to seek a third term under the Senegalese Constitution and other relevant laws, create a white paper that discusses our conclusions, and develop and implement an agreed upon protocol for sharing these findings with appropriate officials and interested parties in the United States and in The Republic of Senegal. We would like to present our white paper findings to you in Senegal in early November and in accordance with your schedule.We can perforin this work under the following terms:
(T); A retainer in the Amount of $100,000 to be paid upon, execution of this
engagement letter;
(2): A JSOJOOO tee for researching and draftingthe white paper; and
(3): A $50,0(|0: per month flat fee for developing and implementing an agreed upon
protocol whereby IVltA will share the results of our findings with appropriate officials and
interested parties in the United States and Senegal.
Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, the erstwhile secretary of state for information, who left the United States to contribute to what he termed then "his quota" to national development, has been sentenced to life behind bars for excercising his free speech rights. A lot of pixels were wasted when he penned a controversial email on Gambian online list serves rationalizing his change of positions, vis-a-vis the Yahya autocracy. A lot of people felt betrayed and offended by his actions then.
Fast forward to the developments of late. Many of these people (online activist) ...been the democrats they are, felt that he fell prey to the evil machinations they've warned him against. They've coalesce without reservations to voice their indignation at his incarceration, notwithstanding, because deep down they adhere to the time worn dictum that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". It is a sad day in the history of the Gambia, that citizens can be locked up for life for what is trivial pursuits. What harm is done to the state when some one print slogans on a t-shirt? The slippery slope is getting sloppy by the day.
The joke is on the Gambian citizenry. It is time for activist in the diaspora to start agitating differently...no I am not talking abut demonstrating in front of embassies ( God bless the demonstrators), it is time to get creative. Bring to the fore front Yahya's connection to drug traffickers and money launderers with affiliations to terror groups like Hezbollah to the attention of western governments.Unless western interest is at stake, we won't make any headways in our pursuit for justice. We've gotta make him think twice before he board planes for the west.
It was students, Deyda, Koro and countless Gambians yesterday. Today it is Dr. Janneh... tomorrow, it could be your family member. Wake up Gambia and get rid of the mad man devouring your kids for his greed.
Free Dr. Janneh NOW !!!
Winter wonderland [photos from my porch]
0 comments Posted by ousman ceesay at Sunday, January 15, 2012
Fresh snow coupled with a beautiful Washington sunset.
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"
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