ISSUED FROM THE PDOIS SECRETARIAT
PDOIS’ ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY TAKES LAFIA TO TASK
Lafia
You are very important and you cannot be ignored. It is surprising that you would think that you do not deserve my attention. PDOIS has always maintained that the sovereignty of the Gambia resides in every Gambian. Hence all Gambians are equal in sovereignty and each deserves respect and attention.
Some people feel that I should not have engaged you in the first place but that is precisely my role as administrative Secretary. The new approach adopted by PDOIS to even engage faceless and nameless critics in order to show its commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability gives me the obligation to monitor debates, intervene when necessary to clarify issues, give additional information and give advice to the PDOIS leadership, where necessary, on how to handle any matter of political significance.
I decided to engage you when you kept on repeating ad infinitum that Halifa’s wife was a Permanent Secretary which was incorrect. Your motive was immaterial at the time and we did not want to impute any motive for the sake of fairness. We thought that your error was due to mistaken identity. I tried to assist you to directly get the facts from Halifa as a good will public relation exercise to avoid publishing wrong information about a person but you declined the offer. Since you continued to propagate that Halifa is a collaborator of Jammeh because his wife was a Permanent Secretary while the wives of other political leaders had been removed from the service, I decided to tell you that Halifa’s wife was neither a Permanent Secretary and was no longer in the country and then proceeded to inform you of our policy on public service employment. I thought that you would acknowledge that all Gambians have a right to benefit from public service and to work as public servants based on merit. In short, nobody should get a bad name for working as a teacher, nurse, doctor, educationist, etc., as long as one is employed on the basis of merit and paid according to the quantity and quality of one’s work. We could not understand why you would want Halifa Sallah’s wife to be victimised before Halifa could be seen as a genuine opposition. Since we had written to the UDP to give an undertaking to form a United Front to combat all unconstitutional actions against parties and their members we thought that you would expose all those who have been unlawfully removed from the public service and challenge us to take up their cause or be exposed for being insensitive to the plight of the citizenry. Everybody recognises PDOIS’ role as a human right defender in the Gambia. This stance is second to none and makes your allegation of collaboration so ridiculous that some do not feel it deserves a response. We know that it deserves a response to help those who do not know PDOIS and the quality of its leadership to become well informed.
Instead, you still maintained that she rose to the rank of Permanent Secretary and even added that a job she got on merit is state managed to bribe her husband.
Some people questioned whether other political leaders you support could have been labeled collaborators of the Jammeh administration when their wives and friends were working in the service to follow your logic but you ignored their concerns.
You were also informed that the person whose employment in the public service was being used by you to allege collaboration was no longer in the country. Instead of dropping your allegation you continued to fabricate uncorroborated circumstantial evidence to pass judgment on political leaders you do not support in the first place.
Since, you could no longer be influenced by facts or logic some PDOIS supporters wrote to me to claim that they know who you are and your motive. They said that PDOIS’ focus on policies has given it clout and that you were engaged in a disinformation campaign to distract the people from focusing on PDOIS policies and attribute PDOIS’ capacity to function in the Gambia against all odds to complicity with the Jammeh administration. To use their own words, they claim that Jammeh is comfortable with certain opposition leaders but is made vulnerable by the capacity of PDOIS and members of its leadership like Halifa to put integrity into political processes and Jammeh is kept in power to the elation of people like you by putting spanner in the wheel of such credible processes. They proposed to send me information and questions for onward transmission to you so that they would engage you by employing counter disinformation strategy.
The information they sent would amount to employing the same unethical methods you have employed. For example, one said you should be questioned why three leaders of the NADD leadership were arrested but others were not and alleged that they could also say that there was something between Jmmmeh and the leaders who were not arrested. Many conspiracy theories leading to the demise of NADD were alleged. Do you see how dangerous it is to manufacture evidence as one pleases from circumstances and pass judgment on personal prejudices?
Since I do not have the mandate to preside over a media war among parties but to clarify and promote PDOIS policies, I had to do more consultation with the PDOIS leadership on how to prevent a little matter from being blown out of proportion.
Let me just point out some of the postings. One alleged that a particular person whose wife’s termination you spoke about was a prominent member of the executive Committee of an opposition party and has an Auditing Firm which used to audit the accounts of a public corporation and used to appear with them at the National Assembly to submit annual reports. They also mentioned that one of the victims you mentioned has been a prominent member of the executive committee of a particular opposition party while working for a state institution for almost a decade without you accusing the leader of the party of collaboration and after he left he had consultancies with UNDP without being blocked by Government. It was observed that his wife worked for Family Planning without any interference and moved to the UN system in the Gambia which required her to interact with the government on a periodic basis even though her husband continued to be an executive member of an opposition party.
A third person was mentioned whose wife left the country because of the deformity of her child.
The name of women party members of opposition parties were mentioned who marched with the Women Federation to complement the Jammeh administration and received loans from the Federation. PDOIS Women did not join the March and did not receive any benefits.
The Gambia is a small country. Names of people were given who are executive members of other parties who were linked to NGOs which did consultancies for government. Other names of people were given who are in the security and law enforcement apparatus, public service or have been scholarship holders, whose relatives and friends belong to the leadership of other opposition parties. If such names were published many would be made vulnerable.
When it became apparent that PDOIS supporters could be incited to go into the offensive we saw the need to take Fresh look at what appears trivial and engage you in a more constructive manner to give substance to overshadow a trivial matter which could encourage bickering among opposition members and supporters and undermine the integrity of genuine opposition leaders.
First and foremost, we would want PDOIS members to take note and avoid using two disinformation tactics: The first tactic was perfected by Hitler.
Such people conduct their campaign by developing a mastery of the art of disinformation which is based on the notion that if “half-truths” and “untruths “are unremittingly repeated without any clarification, sooner or later, truth would appear as falsehood and falsehood would appear as truth. Since clarification is the only way to foil such schemes they deter such clarification by accusing those who make them of being oversensitive, robots, hair splitting, petty, etc. In this way they draw their opponents into battle of insults instead of battle of issues. This is the first tactic.
The second tactic is perfected by Al Qaeda or Boka Haram. The tactic employed by Al Qaeda in Iraq in order to get Sunni recruits is to bomb Shiite shrines who in turn also bombed Sunni Mosques. This provoked a civil war which is still raging.
In the same vein, Boka Haram started by bombing churches hoping that the church militants would also bomb mosques thus leading to a civil war which would split Nigeria.
Some who do not support PDOIS are hoping that PDOIS supporters would also employ the same tactics of telling half-truths and untruths about other leaders and their parties.
What is important is for decent Gambians not to reciprocate. This is why we see the need to engage people like Lafia in a new way.
Why?
Sometime ago, apart from PDOIS many political parties received very bad publicity when wikileaks published the views of US envoys on the political situation in the Gambia. This is why PDOIS consider it necessary to engage the Diaspora so as to raise the quality of debate and put an end to the bickering and mudslinging exercise and promote the politics of principles, policies, plans and political conduct.
Now that Lafia’s intervention has moved from the level of a debate to the level of propagating a political platform based on caricature, slander and character assassination, all honest and open minded readers should recognize and accept his platform for the 2016- 2018 electoral cycle.
Those who are convinced that Halifa Sallah is a genuine opposition leader and that PDOIS is a genuine opposition party should also maintain their platform by propagating PDOIS Principles, policies, plans, programmes, strategies, tactics and political conduct.
Those who support PDOIS should be ready to determine whether the platform being propagated by Lafia would harm PDOIS chances in the next electoral cycle elections. If so they should be worried and should note that Halifa Sallah may not be the best PDOIS or an Alliance Candidate for the Presidency in 2016. If not they should shrug their soldiers and move on.
The Following is the platform Lafia wishes to rely on to prove that Halifa Sallah is not a genuine opposition leader:
Charge No. 1
Halifa Sallah has kept the education of the youth in the Gambia at the level of PDOIS and Foroyaa while he gave full support to his wife to get a BA in Economics, Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature and PHd in Sociology with the highest honours that could be given by a French University, that is Mention tres Honorable that is Summa Sum Laude
Charge No. 2
While the wives of other genuine opposition leaders were relegated to be housewives because of political repression Halifa Sallah aided and abetted for his wife to become a career educationist who did not stop at teaching at the Upper Basic, Senior Secondary and University levels but also rose to the rank of Principal Education Officer (grade 10) responsible for monitoring how teaching and learning are conducted in all schools throughout the country. While the wives and relatives of other opposition leaders were weeded out of the public service his wife was given responsibility to train school monitors and supervise the conduct of their work. As if such responsibilities were not grand enough she was assigned the responsibility of being a coordinator of the programme designed to introduce French as a core subject in Gambian schools. How could she have led a team to create the structures and produce the books necessary to promote the teaching and learning of French in Gambian schools if her husband was real opposition?
To add insult to injury while the PhDs of the wives of opposition leaders were trampled underfoot, their books transformed into kite for child’s play, Halifa’s wife was allowed to launch two books on Friday 28 December 2012 entitled: “Quality Assurance: Pedagogic Guide For Effective Teaching and Learning” and “Monitoring schools: Quantitative Data Collection Analysis and Reporting” and Educationists from the Department and outside were invited to review the two books and give their expert views on the content. How could the massive publicity received which is still in the archives of All Africa .com escape the gaze of the Gambian state and why did they turn a blind eye to it until Halifa’s wife finally escaped the sack by becoming the Chief executive of an institution specialised on education covering 17 countries?
Complainant: Lafia
Prosecutor: Lafia
Jury: Lafia and Co
Judge: Lafia
Sentence: Political Isolation
Jailman: Lafia
On a More serious Note
We decided to take Lafia’s claims one by one in order to give the reader a more enlightened view of Gambian politics by setting aside its trivialities.
ON TRIBALISM OR ETHNOLINGUISTIC PREJUDICES
What eventually brought Halifa Sallah’s wife in the limelight is Lafia’s claim that Halifa Sallah, her husband is a collaborator and is being rewarded by Jammeh through the wife. Some people think that Lafia is a tribalist who just hates Halifa Sallah and wants the Presidency for a member of his tribe. He also insinuates that a prominent PPP women leader had confirmed that Halifa Sallah is a tribalist who has expressed preference for Jammeh against Ousainou Darboe. It is not said when this preference was expressed by Halifa Sallah. The facts however reveal that Halifa Sallah could not have opposed Ousainou Darboe on the basis of tribe of ethno-linguistic origin and still supported Sidia Jatta’s candidature to the Presidency in 1996 and 2001 presidential elections. Everybody knows that Sidia has the same ethno- linguistic origin as Ousainou Darboe.
Could it be that Halifa expressed opposition to Darboe because of ideology? If ideology were to matter would Halifa support the candidate of the United Front in the 2011 Presidential Elections?
The simple truth, that is as clear as noon day to every person who could recognise truth when it is evident to the naked eye, is that a presidential candidate may be given a mandate to be president through the single initiative of a party by endearing its policies, programmes, plans and political conduct to the masses. In that case, one does not need to consult anyone on how and how long to govern as long as one adheres to the constitution.
On the other hand, a presidential candidate may be given a mandate to be president through the collective initiative of many parties by endearing their collective platform to the electorate. In that case the President elect must be bound by a pact which is well defined and sold to the electorate which he or she must adhere to.
Since 1996 there have been four presidential elections. In 1996 and 2001 Halifa Sallah supported a candidate of the same ethno-linguistic group as Ousainou Darboe, who sought to get a single party mandate based on the PDOIS policies because no one made genuine effort to involve PDOIS in working out a pact for a collective mandate. In 2006 and 2011 Halifa Sallah supported the candidature arising from the collective initiative of parties. Hence if Halifa Sallah and Ousainou Darboe find themselves on different camps it could not be because of tribe or ideology but because of choice of party on one hand and alliances on the other. This is the irrefutable truth.
Hence it should now be clear to all that there are no tribalists in the Gambia. There are just attempts to use ethno-linguistic origin as an instrument to promote personal interests whenever it suits a person. Many people who adopted such line of reasoning as members of the opposition did not hesitate to join the Jammeh administration and repent for personal gains. Lafia is not opposed to Halifa Sallah because of tribe. He is opposed to him because he currently believes that Halifa cannot serve his interest.
ON OPPOSITION DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION
Lafia claims to be UDP. During the 18th anniversary of the UDP PDOIS wrote a solidarity message committing itself to work in harmony with the UDP to promote electoral reform and to work in unison to prevent any violation of its rights to freedom of Assembly and freedom to move freely throughout the country to propagate its policies. The UDP leadership read the message at their rally and it was endorsed by those present as a commendable gesture.
On the other hand, during the 20th Anniversary of the Coup PDOIS issued a statement showing why it should not be commemorated. Hence any genuine UDP member would have embraced the good gesture in promoting cooperation among opposition forces. Lafia however did not recognise the posture of the UDP leadership and described the PDOIS initiative as a ploy to ward off criticism from UDP supporters. Who then is putting the spanner in the wheel of cooperation among opposition parties?
PDOIS has also emphasised that since each party is formed to seek a mandate from the people and collective mandate must come from a pact among parties, Gambians should support the parties of their choice and insist that they work with the people to build their support base and consider a pact in 2015 based on the political realities of the country. Only strong parties on the ground could form a strong compact. Lafia however, is already campaigning against PDOIS. Who is keeping Jammeh in power? Is it PDOIS which is calling for the strengthening of opposition parties on the ground and an end to all squabbles among the opposition or Lafia and his likes who are inventing historic animosities which to him could never be bridged? The truth should be evident to all. Deception is no longer possible.
POLITICS BASED ON NATIONAL INTEREST OR POLITICS BASED ON PERSONAL INTEREST
To understand Lafia ‘s attempt to influence the readership of Kairo online newspaper to believe that Halifa Sallah is a collaborator of Jammeh one must understand the two levels of politics in the Gambia which many Gambian Academics, Political leaders and people at large fail to alert their minds to. Consequently, they always give the impression that opposition members are at each other’s throat and that the masses hold them in contempt.
The reality is that there is politics focused on national interest and politics focused on personal interest.
Gambians in particular and other nationals who have the national interest at heart consider National politics from the angle of the principles, policies, plans, programmes and political conduct of the political parties. Hence they could gauge the political weight and significance of political parties at each given stage and measure their progress.
On the other hand, those who view politics from the angle of personal interest are not concerned with principles, policies, plans, programmes and political conduct of parties. They consider such issues as irrelevant and are intolerant of people who dwell on them. They know the leader who could enable them to benefit and thus take sword and put on armour to defend that personality at all cost and cut to size all other personalities on the opposing side.
Hence those who analyse the conduct of the opposition from the angle of national interest would be able to identify parties which are driven by policies and those driven by personalities. The wiki-leaks revelations did show how embassies classify political parties.
Gambians who support political parties should bear in mind that what they say is being noted by analysts. This is what is used to analyse whether their parties are driven by national interest or personal interest. Those who promote ethno-linguistic remarks in the name of a political party are doing great injustice to such parties. Those who deliver hate messages against other opposition political leaders only do so at their own peril. Truth is like a cork under water. You may suppress it for a while but once released it must find its way to the top.
There is a battle between those who are committed to personal interest and those committed to national interest in the politics of the Gambia. The danger is if one allows those who dwell on the politics of personalities to be more vociferous and ferocious, many Gambian observers would see the opposition in the Gambia as fragile and unprepared for the task.
However, if those committed to the national Interest become more vociferous and refined in explaining the principles, policies, plans, programmes and political conduct of opposition parties the quality of opposition parties in the Gambia would be known and the opposition would earn greater respect from the rest of the world thus paving the way for greater opportunity to mobilise the international community for electoral reform in the Gambia. Academics should therefore move away from painting the Gambian opposition with one brush for political convenience. To give the impression that unless there is a unified opposition there is no credible opposition in the Gambia is at best misleading and at worst fatalist and counterproductive.
The Conservative party and the Liberal Party in the UK have their differences but formed a government when circumstances dictate. Young Gambians should move away from the degrading and inarticulate politics of insults and character assassination and embrace the articulate politics of principles, policies, plans and programmes which they should be able to explain to carry the nation and the world with them.
ON ALLEGATION OF COLLABORATION WITH JAMMEH
Even though Halifa Sallah rejected the offer of Ministerial posts during the first days of the coup and was later arrested and tried for challenging the ban on political association and expression Lafia still accuses Halifa Sallah of collaboration with Jammeh.
As leader of the opposition in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007, Halifa like all parliamentarians was entitled to State Land but rejected the offer.
As opposition leader he did not use an official vehicle and did not utilize the petrol vouchers given to him. In a letter addressed to and acknowledged by the Clerk of the House, he forwarded all the unused petrol vouchers and a diplomatic Passport given to him as a member of the Pan African Parliament so that nothing ties him to officialdom yet Lafia claims the contrary.
To avoid any material gain from occupying the post of Opposition leader in Parliament Halifa launched the Constituency Development Initiative fund into which was paid part of his salary and per diems which was utilized to Pay fees for some children, provide refrigerator ,sewing machines and seed money for petty trading for many poor persons.
Wheelbarrows, spades and cutlasses were given to communities to help in community work, projects were initiated to make certain roads accessible to pedestrians and transports. In fact, the Sandika area became a priority project for the government when Halifa Sallah stood in parliament offered 60,000 dalasis as counterpart fund to pave the road which Minister Bala Jahumpa rejected and promised that they would pave the road with Government funds. Adult literacy programmes were launched in Serrekunda, Brufut and Sanyang to promote civic education and the capacity to read and write among adults.
After the UDP boycott in 2002 and before NADD was formed, a By Election took place in Jarra. Halifa led the delegation accompanied by Sanneh. Eventhough, a youngman whose nomination papers were signed by 1000 people wanted to stand he was convinced by Halifa to give Kemeseng a chance. Halifa with Faye Suso utilized his constituency office to coordinate the transportation of 1000 registered voters to vote for Kemeseng and further utilized the Constituency fund to finance those who accompanied him after his victory as a UDP candidate. Lafia still sees Halifa as an enemy.
A social clinic was established where people came to lodge their complaints of violation of rights and hardship of all sorts for remedial action. Despite all these developments Lafia claims that Halifa is not genuine.
When witch hunters, menacingly moved about in the Gambia and sparked fear in every home Halifa accepted to be the sacrificial lamb to stop it but Lafia claims he is not a genuine opposition leader. As Secretary General of PDOIS he is mandated to respond to every major incident to articulate an alternative policy to that of the government which he has never hesitated to do yet Lafia says he is not a genuine opposition leader.
Well to say this in secret is one thing but to stand on a political platform to convince people is another matter. Anybody who attempts to do so, at this junction when PDOIS offers hope to all those who want their fundamental rights to be protected, is likely to be the laughing stock of history. No one could cheat destiny. The future will tell.
Suwaibou Touray
Administrative Secretary
PDOIS SECRETARIAT
Ends
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Guys, I thought the permanent secretary issue have been clarified here? But PDOIS is still banging on it in a twisty way. I will provide a fitting respond in due course.
Thanks
Well written, well presented and as always, very maturely done. ..
The refusal to mention the names of individual members of opposition parties or their family members in various positions in government/NGOs , as well as, the approach that you adopted to give a clear narrative, is very admirable. …This is why no attempt to muddy the image of PDOIS, and the good name of its leaders, especially Mr Sallah, will ever succeed.
The independent analyses of Our political leaders by competent foreign embassies, as revealed by wikileaks, and the high rating that the PDOIS Leadership received, through Mr Sallah, shows the quality of the party and vindicates their followers and fans….
That an institution like the American State Department, through its Banjul Embassy, will regard PDOIS (a Socialist Party) so highly, is a testament to the party’s credibility, as a genuine opposition party to what obtains in The Gambia. …That’s the incontestable fact and nothing will change that…
The “sneers”, innuendos and slander, only confirms what’s written above about the tactics that the Nazis and Alqaeda adopt, to confuse and misinform. ..But it will fail, for truth cannot be suppressed for ever..
Lafia don’t even respond to this. At first they only dislike what you have to say about thier party , but the more correct you start sounding, the more they hate you.
Unlike pdois camp, You never pretend to know everything or have solution to all our problems, you only speach on matters that disunite our opositions and help the dictatorship , Halifa Salla don’t dance to anybody’s beat but his.
They are trying to use you to sale thier Mango juice that no body want to buy for 30 yrs.
Lafia has failed to sell his own mango juice for 20yrs. ..He is definitely not the ideal salesman..
PDOIS-Please learn to summarise!! This is not suppose to be a book chapter!! No wonder Gambians cannot still understand your message.
Bax, my favourite verses re-phrased for you – in sympathy (hahaha!)
Bax when young did eagerly frequent.
Halifa & Sarr and heard great argument
About this & about that without end,
Fully confused, out he they did send!
With them the seed of Wisdom Bax did I sow,
And with his own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that he reap’d:
Bax became a PDOIS-clone with nothing more to show!
You.are.a.joke…Enjoy yourself my friend..
OMG…I somehow mistook this re – phrased poem as coming from Lafia….My apologies my in-law..It’s not permissible to call your in-law a “joke”…
My caution still stands…Remember cold beds in winter nights..? I’ve said my own deh…Case close…
OMG Bax, you think Lafia can pen such a lovely poem (lol!)
Nyanchor lol! Too much misrepresention has gone into this statement of pdois particularly on Kemeseng Jammeh. I will put that record straight in due course.
Meanwhile and like Malik, I have observed that Pdois offered no disagreement on all the points I have raised except the ” permanent secretary” issue which was already clarified and needed not to be banged on by pdois after my clarification. I suppose that is the only thing they can comfortable lean on without a punch from myself but does it take the fundamentals of my statement on Halifa’s wife’s high flying career at one of Jammeh’s ministries? Absolutely not.
Thanks
Bax needs to tell us which American diplomat spoke highly of Pdois and where. My information is that western diplomats generally see Halifa as someone who is only interested in winning an argument rather than endeavouring for opposition unity in The Gambia. If there is an exception to this, I would like to know.
Thanks
Lafia before requesting Bax to tell you which American diplomat spoke highly of PDOIS and where, can you answer his fundamental question which is the bone of contention in this debate. What is the UDP or other parties doing to be regarded as genuine opposition that PDOIS is not doing? I thought you were sentenced to silence by Suwaibou with the words of wisdom, but you will resurface again and again. As for the generosity extended to a UDP executive member in the person of Kemeseng as explained by Suwaibou, you cannot speak for Kemeseng as he is living and in the country and at liberty to take Suwaibou to task for his comments. Anything you wish to say is just twisting of the facts to suit your narratives and we are tired of your promise of a fitting response.
Quote Lafia. …..”Bax needs to tell us which American diplomat spoke highly of Pdois and where….”
Here’s the source :-
-Website : Wikileaks. Org;
-Reference ID:06 Banjul 548;
-Subject: Gambian Presidential election – Candidate Profiles;
-Created : 05-09-2006
-Classification : Confidential
-Origin : Embassy Banjul
I will reproduce only parts on each candidate. ..Those interested for the complete independent analyses/opinion of US Embassy Official/Officials, can look it up for themselves
Candidate no.1…Yaya Jammeh (described as the Mercurial Incumbent ..)
Analysis….
-His personality is.mercurial….
-He can be charming. ……but also ruthless and spiteful…
-He is prone to hyperbole and bravado in his speeches and often makes outlandish statements…..
-He is eager to be perceived as an African Statesman, but pursues that goal through pomp, pageantry and excess, rather than through substantive achievements. ..
-He has no appreciation of the concept of separation of power and wields his powers relentlessly over most branches and agencies of Gambia Government. …
Candidate no.2…Ousainou Darboe. …(described as the Perennial Candidate)
Analysis. …
-The soft spoken “Lawyer Darboe”, as he is popularly known,…….and receives his financial support for his campaign from some local businesses, as well as from Gambians living abroad…
-Darboe seems to be relying on tribal loyalties to secure victory at the polls…..
Comment…..
It is unclear how a Darboe Administration would.differ from the current Administration, except perhaps, the likely cessation of blatant human rights abuses..
Darboe has not, in this contest or any previous contests, presented a clear outline of his vision for progress and development in the country…
He sometimes gives the impression that he wants the presidency, not for what he can do for The Gambia but for what being president of The Gambia can do for him…
While he has not hesitated to come to the embassy to complain about President Jammeh or the APRC, it is not clear whether he will be a reliable ally of the us…
Candidate no.3…Halifa Sallah (described as the intellectual candidate)
Analyses…
– us trained sociologist and national assembly member…;
-He is an astute intellectual and one of the most vocal critics of the current Administration ;
-He is known and respected throughout the country and abroad for his constant admonition of President Jammeh’s government for its failure to adhere to the country’s constitution and principles of democracy. ..;
-Sallah receives considerable financial support from Gambians living in us and Europe. .
-Sallah’s intellectualism may be his own downfall….
Comment….
A win by Halifa Sallah would almost certainly usher in a new era in Gambian government and politics…
Sallah’s ideas are consistent with democratic principles and we would expect a Sallah Administration to be a reliable friend of the US..
Gossip, rumour mongering, false allegations, deception, petty politics, lies, malicous vile slanders, defamation & character assassination; and both author (presently anonymous using various alias) and publishers/Editors (Kairo News) are both liable to be prosecuted for a very serious libel case, malicious slanders & intrusion into privacy of a private citizen, professional lady & good housewife; in the name of Madam Ida Jallow-Sallah, caricatured to be Wife of PDOIS Leader Halifa Sallah & Executive Secretary ERNWACA!
QUOTED FROM SUWAIBOU’S ARTICLE & WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THESE OPTIONS;
“The simple truth, that is as clear as noon day to every person who could recognise truth when it is evident to the naked eye, is that a presidential candidate may be given a mandate to be president through the single initiative of a party by endearing its policies, programmes, plans and political conduct to the masses. In that case, one does not need to consult anyone on how and how long to govern as long as one adheres to the constitution.
On the other hand, a presidential candidate may be given a mandate to be president through the collective initiative of many parties by endearing their collective platform to the electorate. In that case the President elect must be bound by a pact which is well defined and sold to the electorate which he or she must adhere to.”
Thank you Suwaibou with another interesting point QUOTED AS FOLLOWS;
“The reality is that there is politics focused on national interest and politics focused on personal interest.
Gambians in particular and other nationals who have the national interest at heart consider National politics from the angle of the principles, policies, plans, programmes and political conduct of the political parties. Hence they could gauge the political weight and significance of political parties at each given stage and measure their progress.
On the other hand, those who view politics from the angle of personal interest are not concerned with principles, policies, plans, programmes and political conduct of parties. They consider such issues as irrelevant and are intolerant of people who dwell on them. They know the leader who could enable them to benefit and thus take sword and put on armour to defend that personality at all cost and cut to size all other personalities on the opposing side.
Hence those who analyse the conduct of the opposition from the angle of national interest would be able to identify parties which are driven by policies and those driven by personalities. The wiki-leaks revelations did show how embassies classify political parties.”
PDOIS is one political party on the ground that I have so much admiration. This is because they live by what they preach over the years. These brothers are true to their beliefs. Bigots and divisive elements like Lafia will never succeed in soiling their track record that they have built over the years both locally and internationally. I have a strong conviction that if the PDOIS leadership has equal mass following like the UDP, they would not hesitate to take to the streets with Gambian masses behind them to end this two decades of political thuggery and repression.
Abdou, Halifa had 23,000 votes in 2006; enough to to fill Independence Drive. What is stopping him?? From what Sidia said on Faturadio, it is clear that taking to the streets is not in PDOIS vocabulary. That makes me wonder how less bigoted you are than the PDOIS leadership.
You remember Halifa said, in opposition to Darboe’s candidacy of a United opposition, that he was not going to help anybody to become an elite ; and yet he (Halifa’s) became a candidate in 2006 with an aim of becoming an elite he does not want anybody to be. He was also telling people at Foroyaa and pdois that they do not need to go to university for they will provide the right education for them and yet he supported or sponsored his own wife’s university education in a conventional institution of higher learning. Thus, if you want a bigot, you need to look nowhere but in the Pdois leadership. Those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones.
Thanks
I am very disappointed that PDOIS have nothing better to do but engaging in frivolous and petty tit for tat debates. Whilst Butkina Faso is in uprising there you have the oldest opposition party in the Gambia debating nonsense online. No wonder the party can’t grow. I am fade up with this rubbish. Childish and petty!!! Suwaibou grow UP Dude, or are you just emailing Halifa’s mails? There are better ways to engineer public opinion than this baby-like debate. Come on. For once i am agreeing with Dida. After all the voluminous essays nothing to show for it. Very sad.
Dawda!!!! This is not world war 3. Halifa and his wife can be a subject of debate. What should worry you is the fact that, Halifa is OPENLY boasting about helping his wife get an education.
Boubacar Barry,
Please do not divert the topic? Read the response again and express your comments on the issues raiseed. Stop insulting an innocent woman who is doing everything to help Gambian children to get decent education. Are you not told that this is my job as the Administrative Secretary. As long as you continued to trade untruths about people i will be here to clarify them. Just keep the forum open as wide as possible and learn to respect the privacy of people. Sooner or later the truth will come. Lets just deal with issues and stop attacking decent folks who have nothing to do with what we are doing.
Foroyaa Newspaper is too decent to allow any faceless person to insult any person, let alone disrespect an innocent hard working woman in its pages.
I hope Kairo news keeps to the quote: “Kairo News will trash any comment that inflames tribal, racial or religious hatred”.
Dawda stop living in wishful thinking. There’s no sacred cow here, as both Halifa and his wife have been or are in the public domain so merely writing about them is not a crime. It can only be a crime if one becomes personal which doesn’t happen in this case.
Indeed Barry, “other opposition leaders EXCEPT Halifa RELEGATED their spouses to housewives” is simply a MAD statement to make. Tuti is right: Halifa and PDOIS should GROW-UP!
My in-law….
I don’t know whether what you quoted is what Barry meant, but deception is not possible here…The quotation from which you made your insinuation above, is reproduced below…
“Charge No. 2
While the wives of other genuine opposition leaders were relegated to be housewives because of political repression Halifa Sallah aided and abetted for his wife to become a career educationist who did not stop at teaching at the Upper Basic, Senior Secondary and University levels but also rose to the rank of Principal Education Officer (grade 10) responsible for monitoring how teaching and learning are conducted in all schools throughout the country. …..”
It is clear that what the above quotation is implying is that this is Lafia’s line of reasoning.{charge 2 against Halifa} .In other words,it is Lafia who is claiming that whlie political persecution reduced the wives of other opposition leaders to mere house wives { what else would they do if they denied all chances of employment} Halifa’s wife was enjoying a high flying job in government…
Why then is this been attributed to PDOIS and Halifa…? Is it a case of misunderstanding or deliberate misinformation…?
Well Bax, any misunderstanding is due to the Bla Bla Blah, so I apologise … If only PDOIS Admin Secretary could keep his stuff “bite-size” … (LOL – that will be the day!)
Bax, it is clear from this report that the U.S struggling to figure out who really is Ousainu Darboe. They don’t seem to have a definitive answer to the question ‘ who is Ousainu Darboe’ and that is why the report is not decisive but speculative on him. This is a challenge to Mr Darboe as a person and it means he needs to review our he conduct his diplomacy. He needs to bring a lot out about himself so as to enable the diplomats to accurately assess him.
Having said that, is it your position or the position of pdois that Ousainu Darboe, the son of a Mandingo politician who refused tribal temptation to support a mandinka founded party, the PPP, in favour of the Wollof based PS Njie’s UP which he served as propaganda secretary till death, is a tribalist or will they agree with that the report was merely speculative for they were unable to figure out exactly Darboe’s politics?? I would like not you but Pdois to open the Pandora’s box so that I can have justification for using my arsenal of last resort.
The bullying of people who dare speak against Halifa will no longer fly across the face of decency.
Thanks
Here again, you are resorting to your well known and refined strategy….Twisting what is said to suit your narrative. …
The report did not say anything about TRIBALISM….What is stated is that Darboe seems to rely on Tribal loyalties. .There’s a difference..
The report is also not entirely speculative….It speaks about the lack of a VISION for progress and development of the country….That is not surprising because the UDP hardly talks about policies and when they do, it’s a disaster…They want to privatise the Agricultural sector to achieve food self sufficiency. …A very scary thought for Gambians who know what that could lead to…
In any case, the report made no mention of the PDOIS party but Halifa as a person. There is no doubt that Gambians are the best judges of their political leaders not the US Embassy or State Department.
Thanks
Oh..!! So there is a distinction between Halifa and PDOIS, after all. ..? When did you start drawing that line…?
No, Gambians will determine who runs affairs of state but that does not necessarily make them the best judges of our political leaders…
“Uncle Sam” is anything but incompetent…And “his” assessment is damning for your party leader, to say the least..Why does he go to the US Embassy to complain.? Does the US Embassy own Gambia..? How can we trust such a person with.our sovereignty, given also the Senegalese Embassy fiasco..?
But many don’t need state department analysts to know that the APRC and the UDP are like identical “twins” with suitcases to carry…The only differences are in the colour of the suitcases and the manner they carry them, but the contents are entirely identical…
No vision…No plans…Just naked desire to get into office and roll with the tide, like a ship without a captain…
Bax, you need serious help. Going to US Embassy or any democratic countries Embassies is just letting them know what is going on. US has never be good at choosing good leaders for other countries. They always support modern Muslim groups or leaders in the middle east but those people always turn against them. American never want anybody choosing leaders for them why should we allow them to choose our own leaders for us.
You have to be out of your mind to compare UDP with APRC. UDP is a party that stand up for fairness, equity and justice for all Gambians regardless where they from or religion they worship. UDP has well experienced administrators, and intellectuals who can implement consensus ideas to run the country effectively.
In the 70’s, Halipha was arrested during a communist demonstration in Washington DC and deported back to the Gambia. He never completed his graduate degree at Howard University before being send home. I was surprised to hear that US is praising a communist as a good leader because he went to school in the US. What a weird choice.
Yes, I need help…For example, do you really need to go to any embassy to let the world know what’s happening in The Gambia. ?
What the hell are you talking about us not allowing America to choose our leaders for us.? Who is talking about America choosing leaders.?
Are you guys thick or what.? Someone says one thing and you flipping turn it into a completely different thing…
How many times do I have to drum this in your skulls that what the wikileaks cables revealed, was an assessment of the Presidential Candidates in The Gambia by US Diplomats in Banjul, possibly, with a view to determining the impact of each candidate’s win on the US -Gambia relations, as well as the domestic governance environment.
You.might not agree with their assessment (which is fine) but don’t try to rubbish it or worse still, claim that it is fabricated by some imaginary Ndongo Banjul, like your mates are doing…
I must be out of.my mind to say that UDP and APRC are two sides of the same coin, you say…
Well, let’s talk about the APRC and UDP then..
Firstly, let me make it very clear to you knuckle heads that I have never said that the UDP will be repressive like the APRC. ..I do.not envisage a UDP Government involved in blatant rights abuses, like their twin brother…That’s why I said metaphorically that the only differences will be in the colour of their suitcases (which refers to their colours and symbols) and “the manner in which they carry their cases..”(which refers to adherence to the rule of law)..The contents of the suitcases (which refers to their economic and other policies ) will be the same…
What do I mean…
(1) ..We know that the A(F)PRC inherited a parasitic bureaucracy..and has continued to preside over it…
For example, the president and his family live as the first family and have unlimited privileges, all legal under the law…
Their ministers, party officials, top bureaucrats and Assembly Members enjoy all sorts of privileges while the people struggle to meet their basic daily needs, all lawful under the law…
Question…Has the UDP got a different approach..? They don’t talk about it…Please share with us..
We know the PDOIS has a different approach. .You may not agree with them but it’s different from.what obtains before and now…
(2)…We know that the A (F) PRC inherited a small dependent capitalist, private sector lead economic development approach, with a non existent private sector..
Their predecessor (the PPP) , even with a good human rights record, stable political environment and endless incentives (including 100% profit repatriation) to attract Foreign Investment, still failed to attract the investment they required.
The APRC, on the other hand, due to their records, have probably given up on attracting Foreign Investment. ..Instead, they have resorted to using public funds to create a one man and his associates fictitious private sector, which has very little impact on the economy. ..
We know that PDOIS has a different approach, even if you disagree with it…
Question….What approach does the UDP have and how is it different from the previous and current governments..?
I don’t know If the UDP has got the variety of technocrats we need to “run the country effectively”, but I know the Gambia has them.in abundance…All that is lacking is the political leadership with a clear vision…Not imitators, copyists and tax collectors of multinational corporations….
Once again, I’m not interested in what Halifa did in America in the 1970’s (for God sake) or what happened to him there…I’m only interested in who he is now and what he is doing now…
I shall await your answers but I won’t be surprised if I got none..I’m kind of used to that now..
Thanks Baboucarr for confirming my point. Like Suwaibou have said, the truth will prevail soon and he will regret why he spent all his life at Foroyaa rather than acquiring knowledge from conventional institutions of higher learning just like Halifa’s wife, Ida Jallow-sallah.
Thanks
PDOIS has the most comprehensive education policies amongst all the opposition parties…Familiarise yourself with it…APRC has none…They inherited the policies of the PPP and expanded them…
Bamba, you only wish I don’t set the record straight on Kemeseng and that is not going to happen. Kemeseng will not bring himself low to respond to Suwaibou. It is for ordinary UDP supporters like myself to do that.
Thanks
Lafia: I suspected highly that your findings have revealed that what Suwaibou said about Kemeseng’s campaign was true and this is why you could not share what you have found out. The record is already set. I participated in the campaign in Jarra throughout the period. I’m afraid those of you who by virtue of your perceived hatred for Halifa pretend to represent UDP are doing a great disservice to that party.You call yourself ordinary, no wonder you are this low in your thinking. Lafia alias Luntango, how many times have you discovered yourself writing mischievous things and apologizing for the shame?
” If only PDOIS Admin Secretary could keep his stuff “bite-size” … (LOL – that will be the day!)” I told you a hundred times that it is my job to clarify and i will stay put as long as you keep on telling lies.
In actual fact, the U.S embassy statement was leak by wiki leaks, and the truth is that, such statement were actually supplied by home country agents working at the U.S embassy. At the time, my suspected the bizarre compare and contrast rubbish was supplied by Nana Grey-Johnson who eventually jump the ship.
U.S educated, since when has that been a criteria for one to be a good president, Charles Taylor was U.S trained and educated, Lauren Bagbo is an intellectual, Robert Mugabe is an intellectual, Daniel Arab Moi, Abdoulie Wade, all intellectuals and many more bad leaders. A patronising nonsense that no pan-Africanist should make mention of.
Finally, under a dictatorship, no pre-plan idea works, the extent of damage cannot be simplified or analysed unless the regime falls. We all see the Libya, Iraq, and many other countries. It is very well, telling Gambians pie and bull stories, but will they really work, hell no.
Mr Fadiqa. .
Whether information was supplied by home country agents or not, it would have been vetted by a competent official at the embassy, who will most likely be a resident American Diplomat..He/She would have been in a position to know “rubbish” intelligence/information when received…So you failed on that score…
Who said US educated equals good leader..? Stop being a joke my brother….
What’s this dictatorship and pre – plan crap. .? Can you be.more clearer because it makes no sense to me whatsoever. .
Dida Suun Gan Gi, Darboe’s wife was a working mum. She was a principal of a tietary institution but was kicked or bullied out office when her husband became an opposition leader to Jammeh. Madam sallah did not suffer the same fate because her husband, Halifa Sallah, is an covert regime collaborator. There is no other way that Madam Sallah could have survived the culture of political persecution at work place in The Gambia if her husband was not doing a great favour for Jammeh. Ample evidence exist in support of this fact.
It is deafening that pdois is not even willing to acknowledge the presence of political persecution at work place in The Gambia as it does not favour them to talk about it as a result of madam sallah’ high flying career at Jammeh’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
Thanks
Quote Lafia…”Dida Suun Gan Gi, Darboe’s wife was a working mum. She was a principal of a tietary institution but was kicked or bullied out office when her husband became an opposition leader to Jammeh…”
Darboe became opposition leader in 1996, almost 20 years ago, but you stated elsewhere that the issue of his wife’s sacking “has been going on for over a decade”….
Which is the truth..? Did she get sacked soon after her husband became opposition leader or a decade after he became opposition leader…Deception is not possible..
Box : The best arguement against democracy is, five minute conversation with the voters. I don’t know about you, but to me 30 years is too long.
Best argument against democracy is 5 minutes conversation with the voters..? You’ve lost me mate..
30 years is too long for what..?
Box : “The best argument against democracy is, five minute conversation with the voters. I don’t know about you, but to me 30 years is too long.”
Malik: 5 minutes is enough for those who have nothing to tell the voters but those with solutions will want to take as long as it takes to explain to their fellows what plans they have so that they may think together and work to implement the programme to its logical conclusion. So you are right Malik, voters will not have time for petty politics and endless slander for 5 mins.
Thanks
Thank you Bakary. In fact, I was told the same two years ago. I didn’t recognise that this was not even an official report but a cable leak until you posted and then I remember the issue. I can assure you that the UDP have satisfied itself that the views expressed by that low self esteem Mandinkaphobic called Nana-grey Johnson does not represent the views of the United States government or the U.S. Embassy in Banjul.
Thanks for clarifying to the esteem and dedicated readership.
“SALLAH’S INTELLECTUALISM (the Blah Blah) MAY BE HIS DOWNFALL”.
Thanks Bax, need I ever say anymore?
From an Englishman’s view point,such a perception is understandable…However,Mr Sallah is fluent in several local languages and he addresses Gambians in these languages…There is no issue of intellectualism then…His intellectualism shouldn’t be a problem because it only affects his English speaking audience….
Come, come Bax! How come then he can’t influence more than 2% of the voters with all his eloquence? Like I said, Luntango could give him a run for his money in Serrekunda East!
That’s because Gambia’s politics is not determined by what one says, but rather, what loyalties one has and what benefits one envisages from supporting a particular party or personality…
Consider this…The UDP surpassed PDOIS in membership even before they held a single rally…I was at the inauguration Rally at Brikama or one of the series held….What could have drawn people to a party whose policies, programmes and ideas they don’t even know…It is.loyalties other than what is been said…
I.don’t know whether you have followed the exchanges between Sam Phatty and some online audience, when he criticised the UDP Leadership…It was family loyalties and political connections between the Darboes and Phattys that were been relied on to berate Mr Phatty, rather than anything else…That sums up the nature of politics in the country. ..
The task before PDOIS and all conscious Gambians is to strive to break the political culture, whose origins are rooted in our past, but which has been “redesigned”, “remodelled” and used effectively by both the PPP and APRC and has dominated the scene for 5 decades…
That is a monumental task, probably not achievable by a single generation of politicians, especially with the advent of July 22nd, which has not helped at all…
This surmises the PDOIS logic and hence opposition to unity. While I do recognize the underlying arguments and think that politics should be based on ideas and not family loyalties; I think this is the wrong time to wage this war.
Waging a war to change Gambian politics at the detriment of national unity to uproot a corrupt and brutal dictator is like cutting your nose to spite your face.
Bax. YOU ARE TERRIFIC WITH YOUR EXCELLENT RESPONSE.
Many thanks
Why are you petty Dida Halake? APPARENTLY CONSIDERED INTELLECTUAL DISHONESTY, HYPOCRITICAL & JEALOUSY…..FOR SAKE OF DECEPTIVE POLITICS???
Quote Paul Mendy…(1)…”This surmises the PDOIS logic and hence opposition to unity. ”
Paul,if it does,then that shows PDOIS understands the challenges they are faced with and knows what needs to be done…But I don’t see how that’s connected to opposition “unity” …? May be you want to show us the connection…
(2)…”Waging a war to change Gambian politics at the detriment of national unity to uproot a corrupt and brutal dictator is like cutting your nose to spite your face.”
Who is waging a war to change Gambian politics at the detriment of national unity,if I may ask..? We will eagerly await your answer…
The evidence before us is that PDOIS proposed a particular type of “unity”,which the UDP rejected,while the UDP proposed a particular type of “unity”,which PDOIS rejected..
Furthermore,the national unity that conscious Gambians want is one that leads to the realization of the aspirations of all parties, for a level playing field in order to put their cases before the Gambian Electorate, without being disadvantaged….Whoever wins the subsequent elections can do what they have in their manifesto,if they have any…
What we should not support is for that process to be highjacked by any party to maneuver itself into power, and.in all probability, continue to perpetuate itself in power…
Lafia, i am sure you got work to do. These people here have nothing to do. They just sit down in office and act like they are the only thinking brain in the Gambia. They get upset when they are challenged. If you disagree with them, it is forever. Anybody falling for their sweet talk is a fool. They don’ t practise what they preach. Suwaibou was getting hot under the collar. Why would Halifa insult hard working women for being house wives. The truth is, you guys need to come down see them in action. They do nothing, just discussing wild ideas. I stop going there.
You are right Bakary. ..We are jobless because no one can be productive and take part in online discussions at the same time….We still live in 10th Century BC.
But we don’t need jobs because there’s none better than “fighting” those who spread mischief on the (online)…That’s an act of worship and Jihad (Fii Sabili Lah) and the reward is unimaginable…
Your mischievous act/statement is quite plain for all to see here….Where did Halifa insult hard working women for being house wives..?
The quotation that you mischievously twisted is reproduced below to expose you…
“Charge No. 2
While the wives of other genuine opposition leaders were relegated to be housewives because of political repression Halifa Sallah aided and abetted for his wife to become a career educationist who did not stop at teaching at the Upper Basic, Senior Secondary and University levels but also rose to the rank of Principal Education Officer (grade 10) responsible for monitoring how teaching and learning are conducted in all schools throughout the country.”
An elementary grasp of the English language (which I’m convinced you have) is enough to understand that this statement is actually implying that this is the line of reasoning of Lafia….
What Lafia is claiming is that whilst wives of other opposition figures were reduced to mere housewives due to persecution and denial to hold jobs, Halifa’s wives was enjoying a high flying government job or government backed job…
How could any one attribute this statement to Halifa, except due to misunderstanding or mischief making..? I know what it is in your case..Your language is enough as an indication.
No matter how much hot air of garbage and mischief you guys blow here, we will cold it down with truth and sound reasoning….It’s not about winning or.loosing…It’s about setting the records straight…
The floor is yours and the unproductive, jobless “independent Fulani warrior” is waiting..
Bax, it is not a report but a cable leak of views supplied by a Gambian working for U S Embassy and it is not a view shared by the U.S. Embassy. The UDP have satisfied themselves on that.
The U.S. State Department Country report is always published in their website. I hope you will take education out of my post and that of Bakary rather than doing your usual thing; manufacturing stuff in your head. I am done on this one.
Thanks
Absolutely,not true….These are the honest,confidential assessments of US Embassy Officials,which are filed with the State department…The State Department Country Reports are carefully written assessments, which are mindful of diplomatic norms and traditions and do not necessarily represent the mood in Washington…You can’t twist that in anyway..
The downfall of Halifa!!! Are you kidding me??? Halifa has reduced PDOIS to a just say hell no party by treating politics as it’s my ideas or its the highway. History will not judge the current leaders of the opposition especially PDOIS
Mr Touray is exposing PDOIS that’s why they cannot sleep.
Mr Barry please spill the beans
Yes, Baboucarr. I understand that and it is called bullying. It should not be tolerated neither should we allow pdois to control the narrative and manipulate it to the whims and caprices of Halifa Sallah at the detriment of the truth or national interest. These people are an obstacle to unity against Jammeh and people have to be aware of that.
I wonder why Suwaibou never applied for top jobs in the civil or public service and see whether he will ever get it since he wants us to believe that political persecution at work place doesn’t exist in Gambia. Or perhaps he hasn’t got any higher qualification that could earn him a job in the civil/ public service that pays more than working for Foroyaa. It’s got to be one of them.
Thanks
Lafia My brother,
You are most welcome to come and apply for job at the civil/public service. I am not interested in working in the public service and be persecuted for a grade 12 pay amounting to 6200 dalasis per month. My desire to serve my people can better be done through working for the Foroyaa. Apart from my normal editing duties, i am engage in human rights work, fighting for those persecuted in the civil/ public service, giving counseling to those aggrieved by wronful dismissals or non payment of dues in their work place and ever ready to play my part in the politics of my country and express my views without having to hide my face and name fearing that i will be victimized in one way or the other because of my beliefs.
The education and experience i have is sufficient enough to serve my country the best way i desire and the freedom to work and grow independently without much unnecessary bureaucracy is not possible in my opinion in the civil service.
Half the work i do on my desk is to help workers on a daily basis to fight for their rights. You are talking as if you are not a Gambian. The Foroyaa is Center for aggrieved persons in the Gambia. Politics is not just about elections and getting votes, it is a service.
This is my motivation and not the pay and i enjoy it.
Thanks
Now you are talking Suwaibou! No one denies the BRILLIANT face to face work that the Foroyaa Centre does to help Gambians. The problem is that all the Blah Blah political nonsense ends up obscuring your wonderful face-to-face work. Why don’t do an ESSAY letting us know some of that work – the Sam Sarr Science Classes, the Legal Advice, etc, etc. Then people will support you for what you do, not for the million words you write in answer to a simple question!!!
Luntango: I thought you were ignorant of all the work that we do at the FOROYAA that’s why you wrote what you wrote.
Let me add that if not for your unprecedented out of place child-style politics i would not have spared a single second to respond to you. Using too many aliases with Lafia will not in any way help you to slander against an innocent hard working and respectful woman like Ida Jallow Sallah. I thought this exchanges will help you to adjust to the politics of issues but I’m DISAPPOINTED that an intellectual like your caliber has nothing to do but spend all your time instigating a regime to sack a woman from her job just because she is Halifa’s wife.It is this type of politics that keeps the system flourishing and it is people like you again who would come and blame the ordinary Gambian for not changing the statusquo.
Bax, you’ve already been told it is a cable leak published by a rogue website rather than responsibly by the U.S. Embassy or government. The U.S. country report on Gambia is always published in their websit.
I understand you are already a very disturbed person but I am sorry we can’t allow you the luxury of thinking that you own facts or the truth. That is the virtue you learned from being a Pdois fanatic this long and it is a pity.
Thanks
Guys, I am going to switch sides now … in all fairness there are too many people on Lafia’s team and poor Bax seems to be fighting valiantly (but desperately LOL) all by himself.
Nothing desperate my in-law…And you’re welcome, but only if…… ..
I guess the presence of PDOIS Admin – Sec means PDOIS Members can depart the scene…I.am an “Independent warrior”, if you like, out to take on.haters and detractors, who would rather avoid the issues and talk about the trivialities…
And they call me a bully…What is bullish about telling them, in their faces and proving it, that they are aggrieved haters with a “dark” mission of the heart, to tarnish and libel good Gambian Citizens. ..You will all fail because Truth shall prevail…
Luntango: Bax is taking you to task and you are always out of the topic.Morro is right. Use the word ethnicity rather than tribe. We are not a primitive people. Bax, keep the good job. Modou should tell Musa to stop the long winding essays that do not convince even a child. He is living in wonderland. Why compare this man to that man, are they all not doing their best? Those who talk about the TIME FRAME in the struggle are the Lafias who want to come for the public service jobs and they are angry that it is getting late for them. They speak from a completely different plain from us. While we are for LIBERATION they are thinking of Civil Service jobs. This is why they cannot fit in a protracted struggle.Time Will Tell!
Suwaibou, of course Lutango is “out of the topic”! He went to sleep as soon as he saw the length of your essay – even before he read it!!
Luntango: No wonder he is still slumbering. I am not surprised at all.
The U.S. country report is always fact based and have have in the past offended nations and politicians who like to hide their dark side particularly on human rights. This report is not just for peer review purpose, it also helps u.s citizens who wish to travel or do business in a given country, to access accurate information about that country.
The U.S. will not hide the truth from its citizens just to protect leaders of a particular country from criticisms of their own people.
All that Bax have learn from being a PDOIS fanatic this long is the art of fabrication and manufacturing stuff in his head.
Thanks
I enjoy reading the comments on PDOIS’ articles than the articles themselves. So what I am putting down below are on the comments as I have not read the article.
1. Tribalism: it is ridiculous that we are still using this word to describe ourselves. Anthropologists are in fact trying to stop using this word. The word was coined to describe backwarded people who are thousands of years behind civilisation. In Africa we are lucky to have one ethnic group – black.
If we are using it in terms of languages, then why are people in Europe not using the word on themselves? In the UK for e.g. there are many languages spoken by the indigenous people. But to use the word on them is an insult. So let us please f****** stop using this word to describe ourselves.
2. International politics is always interest driven. And for Africa the West does not even care about ethics. They will be friendly to those they can use to advance their interests. Please this does not mean that I support Yaya Jammeh’s rhetorics. So if America seems to support PDOIS then that’s not a surprise to me. After all America should not dictate who leads us.
Morro….
I hope you don’t mind if I react to your comments above….I do agree with you that tribe should not have any prominence in our inter-personal relations,either on line or in our various communities,especially back home…I have,on several occasions,taken on Lafia and admonished him on his “over the top” obsession with tribe.. I have stated on such occasions,that we must see ourselves as Gambians first and whatever else…Tribe has no place in this day and age..It belongs to the past but its ghost is still haunting the African People today…
That is why it will be foolish to pretend that it doesn’t surface and affect/impact our dealings and interactions,especially in the political arena…What sensible people like you should be doing is to expose,criticise,admonish and educate those who still exploit tribe to further their individual or collective interests and ambitions…
I also agree with your view that,often.international politics is influenced by what states regard as national interests,and in many cases,ethics go out of the window,when these are pursued…However,I do not agree with your view that PDOIS enjoys support from the US (government)…Infact,holding such a view would seem contradictory to your earlier view on international politics,because what interest would the US gain by supporting PDOIS : A party that is not in office,and by all indications,unlikely to be in office anytime soon,barring some extraordinary happening…
The fact that PDOIS (through Halifa) enjoyed a high rating in the wiki-cables should not be construed as support by the US,but rather,a testament of the quality of the party as an opposition, given that its Political and economic philosophy could be said to be diametrically opposed to US’s big money lobbying and capital development economics,through market driven policies…
Bax and Suwaibou
Thanks particularly for your contributions!
Morro.
I am still at lost with all the junk Bax retired PDOIS warrior is throwing around. I don’t know whether he can name a single PDOIS member who died as a result of opposing President Jammeh? Since 1996 to date, have the so-call socialist intellectual had any confrontation with the APRC where their members suffered physical and bodily harm? If so how many?
2. Since Bax is attempting to use tribe in the equation to defend PDOIS lack of support, what was the percentage of gains the party made under Sedia Jatta a Wulli Mandingo and to the time Halifa Sallah elbowed Sedia and even made him second best in national assembly, so that he Halifa can have travel opportunities to pan-African parliament, what is the percentage gains, after the change of guards, from Sedia to Halifa? has PDOIS suffered reduction in countrywide support, or have they gain since Halifa started contesting as Presidential candidate?
3. Lawyer Darboe’s professional career already made him a household name when Halifa was a nobody in the social services, and Lawyer Darboe’s respect and adherence to the custom and norms of the Gambia means, people know and respect his standing and commitment to defending justice in practise not sitting a hot small parlour in Churchills town, dreaming what could be. So PDOIS claims of presenting ideas and having the best plans is like a builder without a clue on how to implement those very plans.
4. Lawyer Draboe defended and won in the 1981 treason cases, he attain a reputation for defending the truth then, and he resigned from the PPP due to interferences by the Attorney general then, Lamin Saho, what more principle is there to dispute?
5. Lawyer Darboe continued to defend all his members who have been more persecuted by the APRC/Jammeh than any opposition on the ground, yet a classical case of denying those facts has always been the bitter pill PDOIS want Gambians to swallow.
6. Lawyer Darboe was attacked physically, and an attempt was made on his life in Basse, he was arrested and detain in several police station, with a trial, what attempt where made on all the combine leaders of PDOIS?
7. UDP has more members of the party attacked, tortured, some eventually died as result of the physical blows, yet we having dreamers talking about lousy ideas on paper, as if, as if dictators and those under dictatorship care about dreams.
8. Lawyer Darboe’s academic and intellectual acumen is not just respected in the court room, it is respected in the legal circles in the Gambia and beyond. He seeks to remain loyal to his many party supporters, if not all the offers he gets to take lucrative jobs abroad will prove testament to that.
9. Now, who does the APRC fear in the Gambia, by targeting, and broadcasting continuous propaganda against? Who does Yaya Jammeh and his men insult on national television, certainly not Halifa.
10. There are three methods dictators use to deal with opposition parties: scenario one, they will focus their main threat, use the legal institutions, finance, jobs offers, threats, assassination, abduction and all forms terror to weaken them, in the Gambia, the UDP fits that bill. (several UDP militants where attacked some died, Kanyi Kanyi abducted, still missing.)
secondly, dictators can tolerate a non-harmful opposition, in the Gambia (NRP)
Thirdly, they can ignore and allow a harmless opposition to operate freely, even allow them a newspaper to sell and make a living. Pay blind eye to their numerous letters, editorials etc, knowing fully well, the masses have no time for them, in the Gambia, guess who fits that bill (PDOIS)
11. PDOIS will remain harmless even in the third republic, because political education is not attained through indoctrination, only religion is allowed that space, political education is attain through schools, colleges and universerties, student unions, trade unions, print medias, social medias etc. It is not the duty of a politicians to lecture people on politics, it becomes self-serving, condescending and ‘bitterness’ follows. In PDOIS’s case, they careless about dictatorship, because people fail to swallow their teachings hook lime and sinker, we can all rot.
12. Lastly, Lawyer Darboe debates and argues in court in defending the rights of people. He earn a living through practical means. What is Halifa Sallah, Sedia Jatta, Suwaibou Touray’s other work, well, programming Gambians, and they have failed, because we the young Gambian refused to be compartmentalised by old timers not in sink with modern realities. Get out of your little offices, and join others on the streets.
The question of who opposes Jammeh and speaks openly against him cannot even be discuss, there is only one winner, Lawyer Darboe has mounted more podium, spoke to ordinary Gambians in rallies and decry the dictatorship and harassments, not using newspapers. I don’t care about Halifa’s wife, she is not by business. I have nothing to say about an arrange marriage really.
Musa dear. …
You come across as someone startled from a deep slumber, and like the proverbial idiot, hastily grabbed your shoes and ran with the crowd, not even knowing why they were running in the first place…
You need help to wake you up from your sleep walking, but I’m not sure if I can help you….
I will share my opinion with you on the points that I feel are relevant, because a lot of what you wrote is irrelevant in this discussion and here’s why….
Lawyer Darboe, like any political figure, performs different roles that could be classified under two main categories: Public and Private roles…My interest in any political figure is limited to their public roles…No concern of mind in their private roles….So all the information you supplied about Darboe’s private affairs and what he did before 1996, is appreciated but irrelevant because that has not been questioned…
I do not know Lawyer Darboe in.person, but I do not doubt the testimonies of those who know him and describe him in the best of terms…His personal achievements are there to be seen by all,, and compared to (whoever), by those interested to do so…I do not belong to that group..
I don’t want my in-law to doze off…So I’ll stop here and begin a new page on your more relevant issues…
Continued….
Point 1…You demanded that I name a.single PDOIS member who died as a result of “opposing President Jammeh”…
Death from political differences is tragic and unnecessary, but what will it proof if no PDOIS member died while 100 UDP members died..? It proves nothing except the level of intolerance towards each other (APRC AND UDP) and thuggery by some members..
Here’s my view about all the violence you mentioned concerning the UDP members, including the alleged physical assault on Lawyer Darboe…
The APRC and the UDP are intolerant of each other because they share the same brand of politics…Politics of personality; of disrespect; of insults ; and of aggression. …and both provide cover for thugs and people with thuggish tendencies in their Youth Wings…Unfortunately,sometimes even decent people get caught up in it and that’s what happened to Lawyer Darboe..
Point 2….You claimed that I attempted to use tribe in the equation. …No, I didn’t…..The statement contained in the cables about how it seems.Darboe wants to rely on tribal loyalties is not from Bax…It’s from.the US Banjul Embassy revealed by wikileaks. ..
Continued….
Bax, now you been very dishonest. What is the better way to handle a dictator than to confront him? Again, I will wait for your full answer before responding and continuing on my points. Politics of Personality, blaming the UDP and forgetting the ‘scholar, intellectual fraud, Ndongo serrekunda hiding in the little office, wow!! Who want to use more personality in Gambian politics than PDOIS?
Is it not their central theme in telling Gambians that, they are the only or need I say Halifa is the only Gambian who went to school, who is decent enough to lead?
Why bang on about an irrelevant wikileaks statement cooked up by Ndongo Banjul boys in the U.S embassy? The U.S don’t give a monkeys about the Gambia, hence, the task the bigoted agents to supply them info. If not which diplomat worth his salt will say Halifa criticise the regime more than Darboe? This is why, I pointedly asked you, how many PDOIS supporters were arrested, tortured, killed or abducted? You fumbled that and want to hide behind nonsense. For an opposition party to demonstrate it is truly against the regime, it has to have its members arrested, jailed, attacked or killed. The U.S state department has records of UDP members still abducted. How then can a credible report miss all that and made mention of ignoramus part of the body politics? 14 UDP youths were arrested and tried for merely having a meeting in a private property, the UDP youth secretary was detain for 21 days and prosecuted for merely organising a meeting, UDP press officer was detained and fine D50, 000 for helping the public hear a rally. And now who is more active against the dictator, an open letter writer or someone who meets the people? Come on Bax, be real.
On the Personality bit:
Aren’t you relying on Halifa versus Darboe to make most of your points. Don’t avoid the questions. Now tell us, bring the facts, politics always have personal touch to it.
Halifa Sallah is not well known neither admired by large sectors of Gambians, this is a fact. If Obama failed in the personality standing, the Democrats would have dumped him. The reality is, PDOIS boys all lack personality nationwide to put up any serious challenge to Jammeh, thus they relied on peddling unnecessary needless diversions.
Tyrants aren’t nice, and to say, because the UDP stand up to the Green boys means we are disrespectful expose your level of thinking so far as Gambian politics is concern. If the Burkinabes sat down and write endless ‘open letters’ to Campoare, he will be more than happy with that. Open street confrontation is what send him packing and this is what the Gambia needs.
We don’t need any PDOIS brand of slow doze to confront the dictator. The Gambia has competent civil service staff, well trained legal graduates, abundant accountants, well trained nurses, adequate farmers, more than enough agric trained staff, enough accountants and auditors to sort out the financial mess, etc.
This is why, Lawyer Darboe is not bugged down to the logic of inexperience and ideologue out of touch debates.
In a genuine democratic Gambia, all we need is transparency, checks and balances, proper rules and regulations, competent task forces to set up working frameworks, and empower the civil service and private sector to do their job. No need for dictating or micro-managing people to turn things around, the need to allow competent individuals with experience to head departments and diagnose the fault-lines. Inexperience, hyperboles by Halifa and co is mere waste of space.
The discussion of Mr Sallah’s wife ended becoming about PDOIS, that alone suffice to say, the party is a personality, where Halifa is the central figure-personality. The rest just do the emailing and typing for him period. We need an heir to the Sallah throne, don’t miss that bit.
I can’t follow.your thought processes and find it hard to see your points of arguments…So I.will seek clarification in small bits by quotes from you…
Quotes from Musa. .
(1)…”Bax, now you been very dishonest. What is the better way to handle a dictator than to confront him?…”
Comment….
can you show how I’ve been dishonest…
If you actually believe confrontation as the “best way”, why then are you crying foul when lives are lost..? You can’t have it both ways…Death, injury and destruction are a natural consequence of confrontation…If you accept one, you must accept the other…
(2)…”Who want to use more personality in Gambian politics than PDOIS?”
You have not shown me how PDOIS uses personality politics…
If you attend a UDP rally, the central theme of most speakers hinges upon…”Lawyer Darboe this, Lawyer that…”
The same goes for the APRC. ..”His excellency this…His excellency that..”(they dare not say Jammeh any more )..
It was the same.for the PPP. ..”Sir Dawda this…Jawara that…”
When you attend a PDOIS rally, the theme hinges upon the issues….”Your taxes provide services…” “Your reps did this or should do this..” “A PDOIS Government will do this or that..”
It is never Halifa did this or Sidia did that…
Continued. ..
(3)….”Is it not their central theme in telling Gambians that, they are the only or need I say Halifa is the only Gambian who went to school, who is decent enough to lead?..”
Comment….Now who is being dishonest and deceitful. ..? When and where did PDOIS tell Gambians that they are the only one “who went to school, who is decent enough to lead. .?”
Except in a monarchy, where the heir apparent don’t need to seek anyone’s consent to rule, politicians and political parties must seek.the consent of the people, and the noblest way to do that is to be honest and open with the people and tell them.what you are all about…
That is what PDOIS is doing and many decent people acknowledge that. ..Halifa’s prominent role is due to his position as the Secretary General of the Party but each of the three most prominent leaders of PDOIS have a different role to play..
Recently, it was Sidia who went on a tour of Scandinavia. ..So your lies as them being mere “typists” is exposed, yet again…
Mr Sarr , everyone knows, is the Editor of Foroyaa, an important information medium…
Continued. ..
Musa:”What is the better way to handle a dictator than to confront him? Again, I will wait for your full answer before responding and continuing on my points”.
Musa is complaining too much about harassment under the system and comparing who is more harassed than who. To be an opposition does not necessarily mean one has to confront all the time. You must employ tact and obey the law since no one is above the law. When PDOIS comes to power, they will want all citizens to obey the laws of the land. So when they are playing opposition, they will abide by the law as long as that law has no place in a democratic or civilised society like the WITCH hUNTING.All i can add is that if you decide to play civil disobedience and you are dealt by law, or power is used against you, then turn around and blame someone else, just know that you are doing a legitimate struggle and whatever problems is not caused by the PDOIS or anyone else.
(4)…”Why bang on about an irrelevant wikileaks statement cooked up by Ndongo Banjul boys in the U.S embassy? The U.S don’t give a monkeys about the Gambia, hence, the task the bigoted agents to supply them info…”
Comment…Yet more lies and deceit….The wikileaks cables have been acknowledged world wide, to be authentic confidential US Diplomatic cables, between US Embassies in various parts of the world and the State Department. ..
The US may not “give a monkey” about the Gambia, regardless, it will have a dossier of intelligence on Gambia and prominent Gambians, as a resource material, when it formulates it’s policies on The Gambia…
The wikileaks cables constitute the raw data for that dossier and it contains a lot of information on the Gambia. ..That’s why I indicated that I was only reproducing those areas that deal with the profiles of our 3 main Presidential Candidates. ..
Also contained in that report is the arrest, detention and murder charge of Lawyer Darboe…; The endless harassment, arrest and detention of opponents and critics of the Jammeh regime, including UDP militants, journalist and rights defenders…As well as the arrest and detention of Halifa in connection with the witch hunt…
( I guess the mention of Darboe’s arrest, detention and murder charge is also cooked up by the Ndongo Banjul, won’t you agree)
Continued. ..
(5)…”This is why, I pointedly asked you, how many PDOIS supporters were arrested, tortured, killed or abducted? You fumbled that and want to hide behind nonsense…”
Comment…I didn’t fumble on.it…I.told you quite clearly that it does not proof anything, except the intolerance and animosity between those parties…The UDP is being worse off because the APRC has the state power…
There is opposition between PDOIS and APRC, but it’s characterised by mutual respect. ..No songs about “Toni Daabaa” or “Yaya Jaaw Cassamance”… (From UDP)
Or “We don’t want old pa” .. “Dirimo Kaafo” (from APRC)
6… ” For an opposition party to demonstrate it is truly against the regime, it has to have its members arrested, jailed, attacked or killed…”
Comment…Where did you learn that..?
Which political scientist or text book said that..?
(7)…On the Personality bit:
Aren’t you relying on Halifa versus Darboe to make most of your points. Don’t avoid the questions….
Comment….You need to quote me to proof your points…I’m not avoiding anything…
(8).. .” … because the UDP stand up to the Green boys means we are disrespectful expose your level of thinking so far as Gambian politics is concern…..”
Comment. …Are you a student of Lafia’s. .? Where did I state what you just wrote…I’m waiting for the quotation. ..
(9)… “If the Burkinabes sat down and write endless ‘open letters’ to Campoare, he will be more than happy with that. Open street confrontation is what send him packing and this is what the Gambia needs.”
Comment. ..
(A)..Campaore was there for 27 years…I.wonder what the Burkinabe were doing for 27 years…May be you can tell us…
(B)..Who is stopping you from open street confrontation. .? Go start it today…Don’t wait for the “slow dozy PDOIS”…
(9)… “The Gambia has competent civil service staff, well trained legal graduates, abundant accountants, well trained nurses, adequate farmers, more than enough agric trained staff, enough accountants and auditors to sort out the financial mess, etc….”
Comment…For once, you make sense but what you miss is that these trained personnel must work within an institutional set up…If the foundations of the institutions are weak, as is the case today, productivity is affected and hampered…
So part of the task at hand for our Presidential aspirants, is not only the overhaul of the system, but stating what will replace it and the UDP is found wanting in that area…
Finally, I have genuine sympathy for all those who are wronged by this regime in one way or the other, but the fact that you ignored the many.other victims who don’t belong to the UDP, demonstrates your deceitful nature…
What about the likes of Chief Manneh, Daba Marenah, Ndongo Mboob, Jasaja Kujabi, Marcia Jammeh ….The two Foni youths who got abducted and murdered in Cassamance. …Why didn’t you mention them..? Is it because they are not UDP. ?
What about Bai Mass Kah, Foroyaa employee, who got arrested, detained and prosecuted for making remarks about a mere photo…? Doesn’t he matter..?
The fact is that Jammeh’s repressive machine makes no distinction between tribe, gender, religion or party…It will trample, if it can, anyone that it targets…
But you (UDP) can continue to play the innocent only victims, if it suits you…
Bax just reproduced it…I hope that is clear to you…
Point 3…You want to know who the APRC fears most..?
I don’t know…You have to ask Yaya Jammeh…But I don’t think if you fear somebody, you will go on national radio/TV, to make “insulting” broadcasts against them…You whisper behind their back and when.they get to hear about it, you run and hide…
I haven’t seen, heard or read anywhere that Jammeh sought refuge in one foreign embassy or went to another to complain about anyone…
But you have to ask him who puts the shivers down his spine the most..
How Darboe, Sallah, Jatta, Bah and Gomez earn their living is really not my business (and not yours either, except for Darboe, if you are a paid up UDP Member) because none is yet in charge of our tax monies…
Finally Musa, and all you UDP “cry babies”, stop crying wolf and pretending to be the innocent victim in all your clashes with the APRC.
The only reason you come off worse every time you clash is because they (APRC) have the state machinery behind them…
PDOIS is a respected party whose politics is clean and free from violence , aggression and aggressive behaviour…Its leaders don’t need anyone to die for them and when there is a need for confrontation, they get up and do it themselves. …
They defied Decree No. 4 to sell Foroyaa in the streets of Banjul, even though they were not the usual sellers, and stood up against the witch hunters, when no one dared to, without any crowds behind them….But you are entitled to your opinion about who defends who the most..
I hope you are fully awake now…..
Bax, you claim not to want to rumble, but rumble it is. let us reconcile the major issues:
Which single entity in the Gambian opposition has produce more votes than all other opposition parties in the last 3 elections?
2. Now how have pdois ranked with the number of candidates it was able to take to the national assembly in second Republic?
3. Remember, whilst we are ventilating, dictator Jammeh is sitting comfortably. It will then be useful for us to enjoy ourselves, since the goal of PDOIS is to be bitter about rejections since the first Republic, I am only helping you guys relieve some of those bitterness.
PDOIS have no cause to seek refuge or protection since they are not a threat to Jammeh, never have been and never will be.
The UDP is an unarmed party and the wise thing a clever revolutionary does is protect yourself and fight another day. I can proudly say, Lawyer Darboe lived to fight many more battles, thanks to God and his tenacity. Moses went into exile, Muhammed went into exile, Jesus went into hiding, Mandela went into hiding, he is our idol in freedom fighting, Thabo Mbeki went into exile, return to be a president, the legacies of African freedom fighters are full of men protecting themselves and living to fight another day.
No thanks for your concern, this is the mentality of a pure pdois indoctrinated lunatic, not understanding the Gambia is a dictatorship. A sad battle for us, fighting against Jammeh and then, looking over shoulder for pdois attempting make things look normal.
Bax, we are proud that, Lawyer Darboe seek protection from the junta who did not only killed their own men, but an innocent finance minister which Halifa played words with.
To help you even better, Halifa is scratching his wounds, because his target and plans to buy Hamat Bah failed. This is what dishonesty and punching above one’s weigh does. Halifa thought he bought Hamat with his bogus national candidate ticket, hoping upon hope, Hamat Bah will return the favours, guess what, it never happen and Hamat spat in Mr Sallah’s face.
My humble prayers is that, God bless Halifa with a child, to allow him some closure in the excessive anger that brews inside him. Seriously!!
If he was a good politician, alas he will be the darling of our opposition politics, but sadly, cockiness and arrogance always gets the better of him. Good night.
I don’t fault your party leader for seeking refuge in a foreign embassy, because he feared for his life and safety….I was only rubbishing your reasoning on who Jammeh fears the most…
Halifa took a conscious decision to defy Decree No.4, at a time when Gambia was “hot” like pepper…
Halifa took a conscious decision to challenge the with hunting exercise at a time when no one dared..
On both occasions, Halifa was aware of the consequences and the dangers he may be faced with…He neither hid from his duty, nor blame anybody for what happened afterwards…
Mandela did not “hide” because he feared for his life and safety…Mandela was “hiding” to frustrate his adversaries…
During his period of “hiding”, he was out and about, attending ANC meetings and.other functions. ..
Mandela took a conscious decision to remain in South Africa to the very end..But he had the opportunity to leave South Africa..
The “Oliver Tambos” and the “Thabo Mbekis” did not leave South Africa because they feared for their lives and security, but rather, to take their fight beyond the borders of South Africa and be the voices of the voiceless abroad…
It’s a strategy that PDOIS adopted in or around 1994, when they decided that (late) Dr Touray would leave The Gambia and resettle abroad, to continue the struggle, if the junta decided to kill them or incarcerate them for a long time..
Some things may look alike but they are completely different…Lets not compare the actions of the ANC Leadership to that of the UDP Leadership. ..Their circumstances and challenges were different. ..
The rest of your rubbish don’t deserve a reaction.
You can rumble on.my brother and spill your garbage on.our clean pavement…
My.only advice to you is to keep.your eyes open so.that you don’t confuse things. .
Musa your difference with Lafia is like six and half a dozen. Your comments when reconciled with the fact on the ground cannot stand the test of truth. How can Halifa be a lecturer at the University from its cradle to its present state and opening his library to college University students for their research work, being invited by both college and University students during their symposiums, tell students that there is no need to attend college or University education? Musa Bax has aptly descibed you. Otherwise you would have known that Halifa has returned all his per diem vouchers and refused to use the fuel coupons allocated to him. What has he gain personally to warrant him to elbow someone?
Thank you Musa for putting the facts straight. Excellent Job my brother.
Very good points musa kora. abarika
Musa E sabarry
Damn Musa Kora, are you Ex-PDOIS? You response is so long! My Koto Halifa Jallow-Sallah is too handsome (like me) to need an “arranged marriage”. Beautiful ladies fall at our feet – that is why Pa Mbai gets so jealous (lol) – agree Bax?
It shows the devilish and deceitful nature of some of these people…At first, he pretended to be uninterested in Halifa’s private life, but then he makes a cynical remark that proves otherwise…
In this way, they end up exposing themselves for what they truly are…
Bax, Lafia’s only concern is to protect the image of lawyer Darboe yet he wants to destroy the image of his perceived opponent in the person of Halifa Sallah.
Notice how he is so hang up with the embassy cable leaks making all kinds of suppositions. He will be twisting and tweaking this cable leaks to create the desired results. That is the one and only Lafia of the Bantaba fame.
It is true our political structures and culture has been etrenched and consolidated by the PPP, has evolved over the years and has been inherited by the Aprc and the Udp. Your analyses are spot on.
I think someone should tell Khalifa that we are not in an essay competition and therefore not impressed by his long winded monologues designed to confuse plain simple issue; always refering to “the constitution says”, as if he is an expert in this area. Gambia and Gambians have changed and are changing, Khalifa has to move on from the eighties mentality, when only a few of his kind had the sophisticated education to influence young minds with their mumbo jumbo.
Since the Pa Samba debacle, khalifa has been trying, I would say way too hard, to either impress, or limit damage done to his reputation among Gambians who still have faith in his anachronistic ideas. And for his “Talibeh’s”, I would suggest that it will help if they can provide an interpretative summary of what he is trying to say, as it is usually beyond the comprehension most ordinary folks. And if you think because he is clever, the you have no idea what other people are doing.
Thank you very much Musa. I was very impressed with the facts you represented in your article. The PDOIS fanatics will not response to some of the questions you stated but they continue to avoid the subject and focus on the PDOIS programs, objectives and ideas as if others don’t have one. These guys never ran even a dog house or talking about running a department or ministry but they believe that all these theories they wrote will work for Gambia. I have said this many times that PDOIS is a party that has a retention problem and they sell a product many people don’t want to buy because either the messengers are not doing a good job in presenting the facts or the product is bad. PDOIS is not inclusive and not open to any ideas other than the ideas from the top three leaders.
Bax and other PDOIS Tabilehs’ stop using the excuse of PDOIS lack of support from Gambians because of tribalism.That is complete false and dumb. Many Gambians supported UP in the rural areas but they were not Wollofs but the leader was Wollof. In Upper River Division, the UP candidates were Michael Baldeh, Andrew Camara, M.C Cham and M.C Jallow and all tribes voted for them not because they are Fullas but because they have confidence and trust in them. Politics is about common interest and confident in what the party you vote for can do for the country and its people. I just voted this morning in North Carolina for the Democrats instead of Republicans because I believed that Democrats will serve my interest and create better opportunities for all.
I agreed that many Gambians are educated and enlightened than before and they will accept any crook and bull stories any more from anybody. Please Modou help them summarize and make their answers simple. People do not have the time nor the patience to go through all these lengthy essay to explain simple things.
UDP is supported by all people because of the confidence and trust. It is a democratic party that allows inclusiveness and tolerance for different ideas not what Bax and other PDOIS folks are saying about the party.
“Bax and other PDOIS Tabilehs’ stop using the excuse of PDOIS lack of support from Gambians because of tribalism.That is complete false and dumb….”
Another deceitful and false statement. ..Quote where I said PDOIS’s”lack of suppprt” is due to tribalism. ..
Guys, pdois guys were all in Moja-G, then migrated to PDOIS when it was newly formed. The concept of ‘Liberati’ as a mind baffling ideologue philosophy was utilised to impress the young minds.
It is like, the first time one get drunk, high on a substance, the need to always get even higher became a enunciating demand. Moja-G was neutralised due to many component not suited to each other (some want real change, some want shift of power aka the Banjul boys in Moja, anybody but a Mandingo as the H.E of the Gambia’ some wanted to be the next elites).
After the disbanding of Moja-G, the voice of the future was then distributed by Halifa, Sedia and co..However, since they cannot afford stigmatisation, they decided to become legal with ‘Foroyaa’ and eventually ‘PDOIS’.
The secret is, even to this day, Sedia Jatta and Suwaibou are looked at as the gullible two in PDOIS, since Halifa’s blatant micro-managing of the affairs of PDOIS remain unnoticed by them. However, some say, Sedia is well aware of all the manoeuvrings by Halifa, he just pretend otherwise.
To cut a long story short, these people are not for changing course or direction. It is too late to change course. If you the young people are not ready to change things, please focus on your private lives. PDOIS is not, cannot and will never be the solution.
Halifa the bad politicians. If he is as clever as he portrays himself, he would have been the darling in the Gambian politics today. Lawyer Darboe is barred by age, and after next election Halifa will be barred by age. politics is a long road, only good tactician make it. But sadly, he cannot even win serrekunda neither he is talked about.
Now that Bax is avoiding answering the questions and bringing non-pdois members to justify a climate of open victimisation in Gambia, people who are mainly not PDOIS members, then we can state with assiduity that, the wikileaks statement is misleading and bogus.
Bax lied again when he said, UDP meetings is about Lawyer Darboe this and that, oh yeah, some good remarks is always made mention of the steward, however, the UDP have addressed the dictator directly on their crimes, without mincing words or writing long winded letters, that the dictator use to wipe his backside.
I will state why Sallah is bad politician later. He thought he could micro-manage Hamat Bah. When Hamat showed him that, he is a better fox, he wanted to challenge Hamat Bah to a debate, why did Halifa laid that debate off? Halifa made some private remarks to Hamat Bah during the run up the 2011 elections, remarks that are the quintessential ‘Piere Njie’ ideology on Mandingos. Thus Hamat NK Bah was quietly left alone, he can damage Halifa beyond what Dida Halake did on Maafanta. More discourse later. Bax, lets rumble.
Let’s rumble indeed…No…I have no intention of rumbling….But you rumble on like the noisy barrel that you are…..And I certainly don’t want to take part in any mischief and hypocrisy…
“Sidia knows it but he ignores it…”
What a hypocritical statement, with a malicious intention to breed suspicion where there should be none…
“Halifa made some private remarks to Hamat Bah during the run up the 2011 elections,….”
How private is “private” when you, a non confidant of either Halifa or Bah, can regurgitate that here..?
We’ve seen a similar tactic from Lafia about a private remark he was supposed to have made which was heard by a certain lady, who is also not a confidant of his….I’m. Convinced now that you are Lafia’s “student..”, sent to cover for him.. (haha haha. ..He’s done a runner)..
All this howling is a.proof of your intolerance to difference…The only reason PDOIS and Halifa became the subject of your malicious campaign is because they differ with the UDP on the form of alliance for the opposition…
I remember a former MOJA-G activist stating in an online paper that Halifa was not a member of the organisation but belong to a different one, which was more Pan-Africanist. …
It doesn’t matter whether it was MOJA-G or not…What matters is that Mr Sallah is a genuine Freedom fighter who is committed to work tirelessly to achieve Freedom for all, even against all.odds…
Some though, waited until the odds seemed to be significantly in their favour, before they ventured into this arena…That’s the verdict of history and it cannot be changed…
Musa your likes are the real Gambia’s problem which makes it difficult for opposition unity or the survival of any opposition party in the Gambia always peddling lies and pitting people against each other. Any body interested to know why the UDP founding fathers, heavy weights and firebrands have since left the party or a politically inactive should not look any further than you. Bring the UDP policies, programs and strategies for debate on the public media or advise the party,s Admin secretary to do so like what Suwaibou is doing. Is a campaign strategy for PDOIS and the biggest challenge facing the UDP’s strategy is naming Darboe’s successor. The purported fear of persecution by the APRC regime, just like Amadou Sanneh does not add-up as he would also have been barred by the same age limit. I am reminded and truly believe in the wiki leaks that the UDP is relying on tribal loyalty no wonder they don’t need to present any policy, program or strategy. It is your opinion that Hamat can damage Halifa, and Dida Halake has damaged Halifa. Hamat is in the Gambia and Dida was also in The Gambia having state protection but never came close to anything offending Halifa because he knew in his inner most that he would have been reduced to and academic floor mat. He is a coward just like you.
Bax, what an excellent job you are doing drumming logic into these people’s heads. Sometimes you wonder whether they think through the stuff that they write. No wonder their illogical statements are always exposed for what they are: empty chatter. Nonetheless we will engage them to expose further their lack of clarity and coherence on any of the issues that matters the most to our political discourse.
I will borrow from your playbook and take Musa Kora on his statements below.
“Guys, pdois guys were all in Moja-G, then migrated to PDOIS when it was newly formed. The concept of ‘Liberati’ as a mind baffling ideologue philosophy was utilised to impress the young minds.”
Does anybody have an idea about what Musa is talking about here? The history of the formation of PDOIS and the people who formed PDOIS and why is well documented. You need not look any further just go to Foroyaa online and all that information is well archived.
So who are the PDOIS guys in MOJA-G who later migrated to PDOIS when it was newly formed?
You need to make your statements clear enough so that people can understand what you are trying to say. Do you mean to say that those who were in MOJA-G became PDOIS: a) sympathizers b) PDOIS supporters c) or PDOIS members when PDOIS was newly formed?
Those who sympathize with PDOIS are those who agree with their political objectives and the vision that they have for the country.
Those who support PDOIS are those who not only agree with their political objectives and vision but also are incline to become members of the party. And lastly, those who are indeed members of PDOIS. So what are you talking about?
“The concept of ‘Liberati’ as a mind baffling ideologue philosophy”. What is this supposed to mean? I have no clue whatsoever.
“It is like, the first time one get drunk, high on a substance, the need to always get even higher became a enunciating demand. Moja-G was neutralised due to many component not suited to each other (some want real change, some want shift of power aka the Banjul boys in Moja, anybody but a Mandingo as the H.E of the Gambia’ some wanted to be the next elites).”
This above is one of the examples of your lack of coherence. What are you talking about? Lumping together disjointed statements in an attempt to say something when actually you are not saying anything, makes your statements when separated from each other appears ridiculous.
“After the disbanding of Moja-G, the voice of the future was then distributed by Halifa, Sedia and co..However, since they cannot afford stigmatisation, they decided to become legal with ‘Foroyaa’ and eventually ‘PDOIS’” What a load of crap. You are just writing whatever comes to your head. All fabrication and lies.
.
“The secret is, even to this day, Sedia Jatta and Suwaibou are looked at as the gullible two in PDOIS, since Halifa’s blatant micro-managing of the affairs of PDOIS remain unnoticed by them. However, some say, Sedia is well aware of all the manoeuvrings by Halifa, he just pretend otherwise.”
You wouldn’t say what is bothering you. That Sedia and Suwaibou have been able to work with Halifa and Sam for this long with no desire nor the inclination to rally to your “cause”.
“To cut a long story short, these people are not for changing course or direction. It is too late to change course. If you the young people are not ready to change things, please focus on your private lives. PDOIS is not, cannot and will never be the solution.” Another empty statement.
“Halifa the bad politicians. If he is as clever as he portrays himself, he would have been the darling in the Gambian politics today. Lawyer Darboe is barred by age, and after next election Halifa will be barred by age. politics is a long road, only good tactician make it. But sadly, he cannot even win serrekunda neither he is talked about.” Another empty statement.
“Now that Bax is avoiding answering the questions and bringing non-pdois members to justify a climate of open victimisation in Gambia, people who are mainly not PDOIS members, then we can state with assiduity that, the wikileaks statement is misleading and bogus.”
These wikileaks statements are giving you guys a nervous breakdown. They really do pinch a nerve.
.
“Bax lied again when he said, UDP meetings is about Lawyer Darboe this and that, oh yeah, some good remarks is always made mention of the steward, however, the UDP have addressed the dictator directly on their crimes, without mincing words or writing long winded letters, that the dictator use to wipe his backside.” Incoherent.
“I will state why Sallah is bad politician later. He thought he could micro-manage Hamat Bah. When Hamat showed him that, he is a better fox, he wanted to challenge Hamat Bah to a debate, why did Halifa laid that debate off? Halifa made some private remarks to Hamat Bah during the run up the 2011 elections, remarks that are the quintessential ‘Piere Njie’ ideology on Mandingos. Thus Hamat NK Bah was quietly left alone, he can damage Halifa beyond what Dida Halake did on Maafanta. More discourse later. Bax, lets rumble.”
Musa you make it very hard for people to understand your logic. You are not sticking to one point but mixing all different stuff together. There is definitely an objective to having a debate or a discussion: to inform, to educate and to clarify. You are not doing any of these.
Reply
Kamalo, if you cannot answer Musa’s questions why not be quiet. What Musa is saying are genuine questions and concerns but since you cannot answer the questions you are trying to dismiss them Bravo Musa.
Kamalo, when one reads your comments, one comes to terms with why pdois failed tactically to engineer a revolution for 30 years whilst wearing the hat of educating the people. You see one can be cocky if one actually succeeds at what one does, but in the case of your guys down in the people centre, such is not the case, so wipe the dirt off your face.
Kamalo, pdois aim to confuse and then tie people down to their thought process, you are a victim, therefore, you will be at lost in the unchaining of your mind. The Gambia is a dictatorship, and pdois need to see beyond the comfort of their ‘people centre’.
They should end the sadness and bitterness caused due to the fact that, young educated Gambians failed to embrace them even-though they thought that would happen after the first 10 years of their existence.
I asked Bax to provide the info, a personal comparison between Sedia Jatta’s performance as Presidential candidate for pdois and that of Halifa Sallah. I am still waiting.
The question you need to answer and come to terms is, why is it that, young educated Gambians failed to be attracted to pdois? if their claims are accurate and true, then they should be able attract that voter gap, but that hasn’t happen, and i doubt will ever happen. If one have been doing one thing for 30 years and you fail to convince less than 6% of the population, you cannot then turn that disappointment into jealousy and bitterness. The sadistic disappointment among pdois leadership has reached dangerous level, warranting them to demonstrate that, they are comfortable to continue doing something that yielded them one main thing ‘selling newspapers’.
The rational thing for any sober and honest stakeholder in the Gambian politics to do, is attempt to lift a load that one is capable of, but punching way above one’s weight will handicap the struggle. And i guess that best address the pdois case. They want to punch above their weigh, and yet all reasonable observers know, they way below even NRP in the pecking orders. What is their problem, and why have they fail woefully to attract Gambians?
1. Are Gambians ungrateful to see who their saviours are?
2. Are Gambians too gullible to understand the message of pdois
3. Is the message coming from pdois incoherent and baseless
4. Are pdois executive members, the trio and their side kick Suwaibou too cocky and out of touch with the average Gambian voters
5. Is pdois suffering from the stigma of the PPP era
6. Is it money that is their constrain, but they use to get some funding from British labour party and they have a newspaper, a school.
7. Is it the dress code of the pdois leaders, are they too basic
8. Is it that, they don’t eat and drink for host or enjoy the wonderful drums of our ancestors, the fine voices of our singers.
9. Are they too boring with their messages
10 Or do people just don’t notice them, some fundamental is wrong.
Finally, we all need to help them comprehend what is really wrong with them growing. I know they will come around attempting to make that irrelevant but the reality is, they need help. NRP, UDP all hardly ever speak about or against pdois, because both parties focus on the regime that is tormenting Gambians. pdois have played all sorts of games to get attention and still they have been ignored, well by the majority. We will indulge them and allow them some opportunity to ventilate. release some negative energy guys. Kamalo, release some hot air and be at peace. After that, can we focus on Dictator Jammeh.
Musa Kora. I disagree with your ridiculous views on PDOIS; a dynamic party with respected, humble, well informed, credible and dynamic political leaders.
You are part of the problem among others entrenching dictatorship; showing seeds of discord in opposition front, helping Yaya Jammeh staying longer and oppression continue.
How “can we focus on Dictator Jammeh” ; with UDP militants peddling lies, malicious vile slander, direct personal attacks, defamation of character, derogatory remarks, rumour mongering, nasty petty politics and trying to disparage PDOIS and its dynamic leaders?
Nice try but wollof idiom “sul kerr du koh terreh feng!” (translated as “Its futile trying to bury a shadow no matter how you try”) because you cannot destroy credibility and credible legacy of PDOIS in Gambian politics.
Musa Kora…
What “medicine” are you on, my brother…? Or rather, why didn’t you heed my advice to rumble with your eyes wide open, and now it seems, you’ve bumped your head and suffered BRAIN DAMAGE…There’s no sensible explanation for this nonsense…
So you are waiting for me to answer this…” I asked Bax to provide the info, a personal comparison between Sedia Jatta’s performance as Presidential candidate for pdois and that of Halifa Sallah. I am still waiting.”
Comment…..Why do you even want to know the PDOIS share of votes under Sidia and under Halifa…? What does that proof to you…?
” They want to punch above their weigh, and yet all reasonable observers know, they way below even NRP in the pecking orders.”
Comment…What do you mean…? Political parties have a constitutional role to play in any democratic set up and each carries out its role according to its ability and choice…
What pecking order…? And who set the standards for this pecking order…?
If the ultimate objective and motivation of NRP (and UDP ) is to win more votes than PDOIS, then they have done that successfully and have achieved their objectives at every election…But if their ultimate objective is to win the Presidential Elections and get into office, then all your questions ( 1-10) could also be directed to both parties because none has attracted the votes needed to win any presidential elections…So we will wait for the answers to these questions from the UDP point of view…
” NRP, UDP all hardly ever speak about or against pdois, because both parties focus on the regime that is tormenting Gambians.”
Comment…Where did PDOIS speak against NRP/UDP…? PDOIS’ criticism against the regime is more detailed, more visible ( as it is published in Foroyaa), more sincere and more credible because they offer alternatives…
” ……young educated Gambians failed to embrace them…..”
Comment…As to why young educated Gambians are not “embracing any party”, or more appropriately, why they are staying away from politics, who better to quote than the young educated Gambians themselves…And here’s a quote from one of the best of the cream of young Gambians…
Quote Siray Touray in UK..
.” For far too long many of us youths have remained silent and uninvolved in our national efforts.This is all because we are afraid or fearful of the repercussions in speaking out against the continuous never-ending rule of fear and dictatorship gripping our country.
Our situation has been complicated by a regime that controls everything, including our educational institutions whose student union leaders have been on the government’s payroll.Since April 10 and 11th massacres in 2000, in which over 14 students were shot dead in cold blood, youths of The Gambia have been terrorised to be quiet.This is why it is necessary to get our voices back and tell President Jammeh that he must not contest in any future elections.”
But I wonder whether a damaged brain can absorb this clear testimony from the ” Horse’s mouth”.
KAMALO said:
“There is an objective in having a debate – to inform, to educate, to clarify. You are NOT doing any of these”.
Was it nearly a year ago that Lungando zzzzz-ed off? Make these 20 little words into a POSTER Kamalo and hang it up on the walls at the Foroyaa Centre.
And add: “To learn”. Every day I stand infront of a class “to inform, to educate and to clarify”, I too learn – from those I am educating. I can see in this long debate that everyone has learnt something!
VERY IMPORTANT TO BE NOTED ON LIBEL & SLANDER:
“Defamation” is a catch-all term for any statement that hurts someone’s reputation. Written defamation is called “libel,” and spoken defamation is called “slander.” Defamation is not a crime, but it is a “tort” (a civil wrong, rather than a criminal wrong). A person who has been defamed can sue the person who did the defaming.
What the victim must prove to establish that defamation occurred
The law of defamation varies from state to state, but there are some generally accepted rules. If you believe you are have been “defamed,” to prove it you usually have to show there’s been a statement that is all of the following:
– published
– false
– injurious
– unprivileged
Let’s look at each of these elements in detail.
1. First, the “statement” can be spoken, written, pictured, or even gestured. Because written statements last longer than spoken statements, most courts, juries, and insurance companies consider libel more harmful than slander.
2. “Published” means that a third party heard or saw the statement — that is, someone other than the person who made the statement or the person the statement was about. “Published” doesn’t necessarily mean that the statement was printed in a book — it just needs to have been made public through television, radio, speeches, gossip, or even loud conversation. Of course, it could also have been written in magazines, books, newspapers, leaflets, or on picket signs.
3. A defamatory statement must be false — otherwise it’s not considered damaging. Even terribly mean or disparaging things are not defamatory if the shoe fits. Most opinions don’t count as defamation because they can’t be proved to be objectively false. For instance, when a reviewer says, “That was the worst book I’ve read all year,” she’s not defaming the author, because the statement can’t be proven to be false.
4. The statement must be “injurious.” Since the whole point of defamation law is to take care of injuries to reputation, those suing for defamation must show how their reputations were hurt by the false statement — for example, the person lost work; was shunned by neighbors, friends, or family members; or was harassed by the press. Someone who already had a terrible reputation most likely won’t collect much in a defamation suit.
5. Finally, to qualify as a defamatory statement, the offending statement must be “unprivileged.” Under some circumstances, you cannot sue someone for defamation even if they make a statement that can be proved false. For example, witnesses who testify falsely in court or at a deposition can’t be sued. (Although witnesses who testify to something they know is false could theoretically be prosecuted for perjury.) Lawmakers have decided that in these and other situations, which are considered “privileged,” free speech is so important that the speakers should not be constrained by worries that they will be sued for defamation. Lawmakers themselves also enjoy this privilege: They aren’t liable for statements made in the legislative chamber or in official materials, even if they say or write things that would otherwise be defamatory.
Public officials and figures have a harder time proving defamation
The public has a right to criticize the people who govern them, so the least protection from defamation is given to public officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t elected but who are still public figures because they are influential or famous — like movie stars — also have to prove that defamatory statements were made with actual malice, in most cases.”
“”Actual malice” means that the person who made the statement knew it wasn’t true, or didn’t care whether it was true or not and was reckless with the truth — for example, when someone has doubts about the truth of a statement but does not bother to check further before publishing it.”
“”Actual malice” means that the person who made the statement knew it wasn’t true, or didn’t care whether it was true or not and was reckless with the truth — for example, when someone has doubts about the truth of a statement but does not bother to check further before publishing it.”
BEWARE OF! “Defamation Law; freedom of speech, the rights and responsibilities of the press, invasion of privacy, hate speech, and Internet speech.”
There are two versions of defamation, libel and slander. Libel is when the defamation is written down (including email, bulletin boards and websites), and slander is when the incident relates to words spoken.
CASE LAID TO REST!
Dawda, NOT “case laid to rest”! Rather, ESSAY laid to rest (lol).
Having laid out the legal principles, you now have to lay out the FACTS to which you want those legal principles to apply. Remember, your “facts” may be challenged!
It is a good B-grade essay, BUT why do you fail to mention the DEFENCES to slander/libel and defamation claims?
THE CHARGES:
Gossip, rumour mongering, false allegations, deception, petty politics, lies, malicous vile slanders, defamation & character assassination; and both author (presently anonymous using various alias) and publishers/Editors (Kairo News) are both liable to be prosecuted for a very serious libel case, malicious slanders & intrusion into privacy of a private citizen, professional lady & good housewife; in the name of Madam Ida Jallow-Sallah, caricatured to be Wife of PDOIS Leader Halifa Sallah & Executive Secretary ERNWACA!
THIS A VALID DEFAMATION CASE; CONSTITUTING BOTH LIBEL & SLANDEROUS MALICIOUS STATEMENTS AGAINST MADAM IDA JALLOW-SALLAH!
“Kamalo, when one reads your comments, one comes to terms with why pdois failed tactically to engineer a revolution for 30 years whilst wearing the hat of educating the people.”
Musa, I wonder what you have read about my comments that make you to believe that PDOIS should have engineered a revolution within the 30 years they have been in existence.
If PDOIS has failed tactically to engineer a revolution the implication you are making is that a revolution must have been part of its operating principles. I wonder if you truly understand the dynamics of revolutionary warfare.
This is the problem; PDOIS has been in existence for well over three decades. It has written a lot about the political situation in the Gambia. It has written a lot about the economic situation in the Gambia. It has written a lot about the social and cultural realities in the Gambia. It has consistently and without any ambiguity articulated its political objectives; it has uncompromisingly outlines its fundamental principles, policy objectives and goals.
Yet you people are so darn lazy to read all these stuff, and even if you do, you intentionally ascribe to them positions that they do not hold. And you infer to them motive that they do not bear.
Who told you that PDOIS has ever had the intention to tactically engineer a revolution?
For people who thoroughly understand and master the science of revolution, and whose every action is guided and dictated by the evolution of a political process, PDOIS knows best how to prosecute its political goals and objectives.
And one of its fundamental principles is that it will never take power at the back of the people.
“You see one can be cocky if one actually succeeds at what one does, but in the case of your guys down in the people centre, such is not the case, so wipe the dirt off your face.”
Look at you talking as if you have succeeded in what you are doing. Have you? Would you then wipe the dirt off your face.
“Kamalo, pdois aim to confuse and then tie people down to their thought process, you are a victim, therefore, you will be at lost in the unchaining of your mind. The Gambia is a dictatorship, and pdois need to see beyond the comfort of their ‘people centre’”
.I wonder what you are confused about. Would you mind to tell us so that we can clarify things to you. Our intention is to give as much clarity as possible in the things that we do and the vision that we pursue. If there is anything that you do not understand in our thought processes we will be more than happy to oblige you.
“They should end the sadness and bitterness caused due to the fact that, young educated Gambians failed to embrace them even-though they thought that would happen after the first 10 years of their existence.”
Musa, you are really something. What sadness and bitterness? At least those educated young Gambians are not embracing your party.
I can safely say that the majority of young Gambians who were PDOIS “followers” and you can categorize them as those who were keenly following PDOIS political meetings and reading with relish every issue of foroyaa; those that congregate at the PDOIS information bureau and the center at Churchill’s town; those that crowd the halls of the PDOIS symposiums of the late eighties are all out of the country.
They are now holders of doctorate degrees, masters and bachelors degrees, and to a greater extend and without any exaggeration, the majority of them are still sympathetic to the PDOIS cause and the PDOIS vision.
Some of them are very prominent in the forefront of the diaspora struggle. The future leaders. We have no doubts that they still carry with them the fundamental lessons they have learned about the evolution of the Gambian political situation.
“I asked Bax to provide the info, a personal comparison between Sedia Jatta’s performance as Presidential candidate for pdois and that of Halifa Sallah. I am still waiting.”
I wonder what interest would this be to you. As Bax rightly stated just to be mischievous.
“The question you need to answer and come to terms is, why is it that, young educated Gambians failed to be attracted to pdois? if their claims are accurate and true, then they should be able attract that voter gap, but that hasn’t happen, and i doubt will ever happen.”
Are young educated Gambians attracted to the UDP? i do not see that happening. At least you should have been in a better position since you have also inherited the political structure and culture of the P.P.P. legacy.
“If one have been doing one thing for 30 years and you fail to convince less than 6% of the population, you cannot then turn that disappointment into jealousy and bitterness. The sadistic disappointment among pdois leadership has reached dangerous level, warranting them to demonstrate that, they are comfortable to continue doing something that yielded them one main thing ‘selling newspapers’.”
Musa, you are really something. How long have you been doing what you are doing and you are just contend on convincing more than 6% of the population? You have been doing the same thing for almost 20 years now. You are not in a better position than PDOIS either. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black. We are selling a newspaper. What are you selling?
“The rational thing for any sober and honest stakeholder in the Gambian politics to do, is attempt to lift a load that one is capable of, but punching way above one’s weight will handicap the struggle.”
Now, wait a minute. Whose struggle are you talking about? PDOIS has nothing to do with the UDP struggle. We therefore cannot handicap your struggle. And we know much better not to lift a load we are not asked to carry.
” And i guess that best address the pdois case. They want to punch above their weigh, and yet all reasonable observers know, they way below even NRP in the pecking orders. What is their problem, and why have they fail woefully to attract Gambians?”
For how many times should be explain to you bunch the dynamics of the Gambia’s political situation and why any opposition political party cannot win an election outright in the country. It has not happened for the 30 years the PPP has been in power, and it is going to happen for the more than 20 years the APRC is in power. Who are you guys kidding with your heavy punching whether above or below. This is ground zero for all opposition political parties whether they are heavy hitters or not. The sooner we all understand this the better.
“1. Are Gambians ungrateful to see who their saviours are?
2. Are Gambians too gullible to understand the message of pdois
3. Is the message coming from pdois incoherent and baseless
4. Are pdois executive members, the trio and their side kick Suwaibou too cocky and out of touch with the average Gambian voters
5. Is pdois suffering from the stigma of the PPP era
6. Is it money that is their constrain, but they use to get some funding from British labour party and they have a newspaper, a school.
7. Is it the dress code of the pdois leaders, are they too basic
8. Is it that, they don’t eat and drink for host or enjoy the wonderful drums of our ancestors, the fine voices of our singers.
9. Are they too boring with their messages
10 Or do people just don’t notice them, some fundamental is wrong.”
Musa, the answer to all your questions is an emphatic NO. Does that make you happy now?
“Finally, we all need to help them comprehend what is really wrong with them growing. I know they will come around attempting to make that irrelevant but the reality is, they need help.”
Can you wait until we ask for your help, Musa, before you can volunteer for one.
I remember the little story that PDOIS used to tell the people in their political meetings. That if you see an old woman struggling with her load and she never invited you to carry the load for her, but if you should insist that you must carry the load for her then your intentions and motives are questionable. She might think that you want to steal the load from her.
“NRP, UDP all hardly ever speak about or against pdois, because both parties focus on the regime that is tormenting Gambians.”
Then what have you been doing, you and Lafia and all the rest, maligning the character of and saying ill of the PDOIS and its leadership?
“pdois have played all sorts of games to get attention and still they have been ignored, well by the majority. We will indulge them and allow them some opportunity to ventilate. release some negative energy guys. Kamalo, release some hot air and be at peace. After that, can we focus on Dictator Jammeh.”
Musa, you are really something. For real. You are really something.
“For how many times should be explain to you bunch the dynamics of the Gambia’s political situation and why any opposition political party cannot win an election outright in the country. It has not happened for the 30 years the PPP has been in power, and it is going to happen for the more than 20 years the APRC is in power. Who are you guys kidding with your heavy punching whether above or below. This is ground zero for all opposition political parties whether they are heavy hitters or not. The sooner we all understand this the better.”
Just to correct this statement. “for how many times” should read “for how long.” “…and it is going to happen for the more than 20 years” should read “… and it is not going to happen for the more than twenty year…” Sorry for the errors.
Musa what did Piere Njie say about Mandingos ? I think the Gambia’s political impasse is a result of her history .
Please educate us
Come on musa Kora say all that you know for the benefit of the gambian people…..thanks and well done.
I don’t usually make comments on newspapers, at 114 comments on this topic, the first time. But we the silent majority as observers are keenly following who says what, how they said it, and what is said. Of late, I started paying keen attention to the reactions of PDOIS officials to issues said against/about them.
I will have to say, of the 14 years I live abroad, I used to have a great impression of the Halifa, Sedia, Sam, Amie and co. However, a sad however, the more I started listening/reading to them, the more I feel uncomfortable, eg Sedia interview on gainako, Fatu radio, Halifa reaction to Pa Samba, his eventual responses on Maafanta.
It is healthy I will accept for a political party to respond to claims against it. However, statement emanating from anonymous writers is best left alone, if not then a single reply suffices. Of late, my belove PDOIS is doing overkill, over sensitivity and highly demonstrative of an outfit intolerant to divergence views.
One just have to look at the comment summary of kairo news to see that, all the high back and forth comments relate to topics dealing with PDOIS. Yes size matters in politics and sometimes the lesser a party is the more noise they make. But it is over the top for kairo news to allow comments to go beyond 100. My appeal to kairo news is, put a gap, stop comments at say 75 or 100. It became repetitive and boring, uncaring and sinister in tone, and disrespectful.
Even an older gentleman like Suwaibou is getting undiplomatic. The usual calm Bax is getting upset. You don’t have to have the final say to win an argument. The more you write, the more you contradict yourself, and the more personal you become.
Interestingly not a single UDP official made a comment against PDOIS, yet, Suwaibou of all people is breaking with protocol and responding to Lafaia as if he/she was an official of UDP. This highlight the problematic nature Gambian opposition politics is. Suwibou need to leave certain areas to junior officials of the party. By getting involve yourselves as executive members expose the party to many things. Sorry if I offend.
“….The usual calm Bax is getting upset. ”
Thank you sister Fatou…I can assure you that I am not upset at all…But you will agree with me that what these people have been doing is disgraceful and shouldn’t go unchallenged….
Sometimes, I just take a bit of liberty with some people to add a bit of humor to the exchanges…..Nothing personal…
F Jallow you have been very disingenuous to say the least, no wonder you failed to look at both sides of the coin the resultant of which you apportioned the blame entirely on PDOIS. At least we know for a fact that Lafia is a supporter of the UDP but what is your evidence that he is not an official of the party? Take it or leave it but the limitation to PDOIS counter-comments will be determined by the cessation of profanity, lies and character assassination of its respectable officials. I will draw you into the fray in an attempt to prove your contempt for PDOIS by asking what makes you uncomfortable about Seedia’s interview, Halifa’s reaction to Pa samba and eventual responses on Maafanta? What is you comment on people identifying themselves with a party insulting the leaders of other party. You are another Lafia in grand style. You are associating yourself with PDOIS but your loyalty lies somewhere else and you see them as the lesser party making more noise which is a figment of your imagination. For PDOIS it is a prove that it can counter words with words with respect candor and valor.
F.Jallow: You are not offending anyone. Faceless and nameless critics who use Kaironews to insult an innocent and RESPECTFUL woman just because they hate Halifa Sallah, their perceived enemy who they say has deprived their leader the Gambian presidency cannot go on without hundreds of comments.Kairo is doing just fine. Bax, Kamalo and Dawda etc are doing more than terrific. You should be telling Kairo to tell Alafia and his aliases to stop the hate mongering and deal with issues. We have tried to put sense into them but they continued to get into the privacy of decent folks who are fighting for everybody in this country. PDOIS is the only party in the Gambia that is challenging the APRC on a daily and hourly basis and is the only party that is standing by the ordinary Gambian people on a minute by minute basis. If they feel that PDOIS is not doing enough, that is their opinion which is okay. There is criticism to help each other and criticism intend to destroy the other. Did you see any comment from PDOIS or its supporters which insults any UDP officials since they started their attacks? Point it out. As far as PDOIS is concerned we have no problem with anybody and we are not competing anyone but it is our right to pursue what we believe is right for our country which is constitutionally guaranteed.
As far as when the people will hear us, well that is left to the PEOPLE, we cannot force ideas on them, they are sovereign. How long did it take the ANC to change SOUTH Africa?
We have a lot of respect for Muhammed Sillah because he tried to deal with issues. I hope he comes with his third phase. POLITICS WITHOUT IDEAS IS LIKE FARMING WITHOUT SEEDS!
F.Jallow and who knows you as faceless as me??? You could be same UDP militants trying to win the cyber war and online militancy; with false pretensions of mediating and still denigrate PDOIS ; a dynamic party with its dynamic leaders political records & good legacy in the eyes of public (especiallly Gambian community)????
QUOTING YOU FOR: ” Suwaibou of all people is breaking with protocol and responding to Lafaia as if he/she was an official of UDP. This highlight the problematic nature Gambian opposition politics is. Suwibou need to leave certain areas to junior officials of the party. By getting involve yourselves as executive members expose the party to many things. Sorry if I offend.”
PDOIS CANNOT ACCEPT LIES, MALICIOUS VILE SLANDERS, NASTY POLITICS OF DECEPTION, DISINFORMATION & POISONOUS INFORMATION TO GAMBIAN COMMUNITY; UN-ADDRESSED!
Fatou, Fatou, Fatou … where have you been all the while??? It is a crime for you to have kept silent for so long!!!
Fatou said:
” … statement emanating from anonymous writers is best left alone, if not then a single reply suffices … size matters in politics and sometimes the lesser a party is the more noise they make … repetitive and boring, uncaring and sinister in tone, and disrespectful … You don’t have to have the final say to win an argument. The more you write, the more you contradict yourself, and the more personal you become”.
Malicious vile slanders are personal attacks, petty politics, deception, peddling gossip or rumour mongering; cannot destroy credibility of PDOIS, its dynamic leadership, hard work in Gambian politics, national development, good legacy for the community, sound policies & party position
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THIS BECHECKMAN IS VERY PETTY! A LEADER SHOULD SOMETIMES LET GO,FOR THIRTY YEARS GAMBIANS CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOU.
ABDOULIE Where were you when there were exchanges of opinions on this article. You are a coward and hypocrite; waiting until the foiled coup of 29 Dec, 2014 and other very important national issues are focused to make stupid comment. YOU ARE FOOLISH, PETTY, HYPOCRITE AND HATER!
YOU ARE A TIME WAISTER!