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Momodou
Denmark
11644 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Mar 2007 : 16:06:26
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
INTERVIEW WITH PA SANJALLY BOJANG, FOUNDER OF THE PPP (EXCERPTS)
With Suwaibou Touray
Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3282
POINEERS OF THE PPP
Mr. Bojang said, he was the organizer of the party but he was illiterate. He mentioned Sheriff Sisay, Jombo Bojang, Famara Wassa Touray, Saikouba Dandanba, Faa Touray Sanyang etc. when asked about the campaign to convince the electors to vote for them, he said it was not easy. He explained that they were like jihadist; that truck load of young people and fighters used to go with them during campaigns. He mentioned the prominent ones, he could remember such as Bakary Darboe, Landing Nyameseng, Kumbuna Manga, Jombo Bojang, Famara Wassa Touray, Batou Bojang, Kebba Saikouba and Mamanding Dampha and many others.
Mr. Bojang acknowledged that a lot of wrongs had been done but as he said to our reporter, “leave the sleeping dogs to lie,” that we must forget certain things because as he said when they are mentioned, they could arouse a lot of hatred. He described Jawara as not being patient and opined that what is important in a leader is, let him not be the type of person who is never satisfied; that he should not be somebody who loves everything for himself.
Mr. Bojang said to his utmost surprise, they discovered that the chiefs met in Maccarthy and agreed not to support them. He said he quarreled bitterly with them; that they thought that the PPP was going to uproot them when independence comes, so they supported the U.P.
According to Bojang, the decision of the chiefs not to support them engendered a lot of hostility and as he said that was the reason why when they arrived at Sankwia in the Mansa Konko administrative area, they selected Yaya Ceesay instead and dropped one Kalillu Darboe, a son of a chief to stand as their party’s candidate. He said at Mamut Fana when the Wollofs showed their opposition, they dropped from their trucks but did not say what they have done to them but said they eventually supported them instead.
Narrating the PPP’s campaign trial, Mr. Bojang said at Bakadaji they found the flag of the UP everywhere and they put them all down. He said one Muhamadou Krubally whom he described as a foolish man who claimed to own the flags was beaten severely by their militants. At Basse he said one Michael Baldeh came to greet them and invited him to speak at his rally which he did. He explained that when they wanted to hold their own rally the following day, a boy insulted them and was also beaten severely, which led to a big fight that resulted in the burning of many houses. According to him, a chief had to retire to Cassamance to avoid the clash. The people, he said became afraid later on and decided to accept their flags. He blamed the commissioner for encouraging Michael Baldeh to stop them from holding their rally.
So as you can see the culture of violence in election campaigns in the Gambia has been initiated in the early 1960s. The PPP defeated the United Party in this election. It got ten seats, capturing eight out of the twelve seats allocated for the protectorate and UP winning seven seats. The Democratic Party led by Mr. St.Claire Joof and the Muslim Congress, led by Mr. Garba Jahumpa, which together formed the Democratic Congress Alliance, won only one seat in this election.
There was no provision in the constitution to appoint a Chief Minister to coordinate the work of the new Ministries that were created, Therefore, when the then Governor Sir Edward Windley decided to appoint a Chief Minister, the Protectorate Chiefs gave their support to P.S Njie who then became Chief Minister. Jawara, who was Minister of Education, resigned in protest which culminated into a political crisis. The Gambia Workers Union also struck shortly after that which motivated the colonialist to convene the Bathurst and London Constitutional conferences in 1961. This was why another constitution came into being in 1962 that paved the way for Gambia’s attainment of full internal self-Government. The seat reserved for the chiefs to the house was drastically reduced from eight to two, and a new general election was held. In this election, the PPP defeated its main political rival, the United Party and formed a government of its own in which Jawara became the new premier.
The P.P.P ruled the Gambia from 1962 to July 1994 only to be ousted by a military coup in 1994. What were the expectations of the people during this period? Have those political and economic expectations been met?
What happened to the other parties like the Muslim congress and the united party?
Read on to find out more in the next issue.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No 28/2007, 9th -11th March 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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