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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Apr 2007 : 01:06:02
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
Events Leading to the 1977 General Election
By Suwaibou Touray
Continued from: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3489
We have been focusing on the history of The Gambia from pre-independence to post-independence era.
Earlier on, we have shed light on what had transpired between 1976 to 1977 up to the nomination of PPP's Jawara as incumbent and NCP's Dibba, a former minister in Jawara's administration up to 1975, when he was dismissed. We had stopped, where we said S.M Dibba experienced difficulty when he wanted to enter the court premises because the PPP supporters refused to leave the area after their nomination and the large convergence of his own supporters, which prompted police intervention.
Reading between the lines, one could detect one phrase during the 1977 election campaign emanating from the PPP camp, i.e; "That a president can never lose his position through voting by the ballot box." Was the election campaign and the process going to be free and fair became the concern of all clear headed observers. One thing was clear, there was no pressure on the Government at the time which could make it yield or to conform to legality if it actually wanted to do otherwise.
According to Newspaper reports and reports reaching the capital at the time, some very wild rumours spoke negatively against the ruling party ministers. For example, The Gambia Outlook reporter who went with the N.C.P campaign team in the URD published a horrific scene completely unheard of the period. The Outlook reported an incident at Sare Garaba in the Tumana constituency on Saturday 19th March 1977, at about 11am. According to the reporter, Solo Darboe, the businessman cum-politician was engaged in discussion with the Alkalo of Sare Garaba village and some elders when he saw a convoy of transports approaching them. He said the then Vice President, Honourable Assan Musa Camara, the Minister of Education Youth and Culture, Mr. M.C Cham and the Honourable M.C Jallow, Parliamentary Secretary of Agriculture, all dismounted from a Landrover.
The Outlook reporter reported that immediately when they alighted, Assan Musa Camara shouted with both of his hands raised above his head and said "Vive PPP!" but as he said there was no reply from those who met at the village. According to the reporter, Vice President Camara then beckoned to the people who came with them to fall on them, the NCP entourage.
The Outlook reporter described the men who accompanied the Vice President on his tour as strangers. He said most of them were holding liguor bottles in their hands and as he said some appeared Tipsy. He asserted that Assan Musa Camara, M.C Cham, and M.C Jallow had carried pistols which they brandished for the people to see. Then, as he said, the stalwarts who came with them started to beat them up culminating into a brawl. But as he said, since they were outnumbered, most of them got wounded. He said he, himself, was shot at by Assan Musa Camara. He said the bullet grazed his foot below his left knee.
The Outlook reporter mentioned one Karanta Jatta, the Chairman of the Brikama branch of the NCP who he said claimed to have been shot at but bullets could not pass through his skin because as he opined, the man had charms on his body. He said the stalwarts or thugs, six of them in number, fell on Karanta and eventually over-powered him, and succeeded in tying him to a tree and beaten him mercilessly.
The reporter said the NCP vehicles were wantonly damaged at Sare Garaba. He also said News somehow reached the Basse Police who arrived at the scene.
According to him, when Assan and his men saw the Police coming, they made attempt to run away but as he said, they were halted somehow by the Police. He said the Police took all of them who were wounded to the Police Station and later to Bansang hospital where they were treated and others whose cases were serious got admitted.
According to M.B Jones editor of the outlook at the time commented that; if this story of his reporter was true, then people can expect worse things to come just before or on polling day. He called on the government to do justice on the matter.
So as you can see, as far as the Newspaper reports are concerned, not much came out of this. Mr. Karanta Jatta himself later reported to the Outlook and narrated his experience. Looking at the period, one could easily see that those who were campaigning for the opposition also had to carry weapons. It appeared that the experience had hardened the opposition. This was why Mr. Solo Darboe who sponsored his brother Mr. Mahamed Saloum Dabo in 1977 General elections were seen with half a truck load of cutlasses "Machetes" during campaign. The campaign continued with endless threats and intimidation but also involved brawls in some places.
It was described by some people as a tug of war. Many people at the time expressed their opinions before the polls. Some said it was a sensitive moment of political tug of war when parties concerned were trying to "programme, regiment and assimilate us, we must with great care examine the political cargo of their speeches." The person quoted said that "There was never so much telling lies before an election, during a war and after a hunt. Today we see the truth of his words." He said what politicians have said at the time of campaign, they have contradicted at the period of their rule. He said this also justifies the statement that a politician makes you believe in what he doesn't believe in.
One Badara Joof also sent his opinion of things to the Outlook; that with the eleventh hour also at hand, now is the time to weigh the substance of their speeches and come to a final decision. He said 1977 was a year of contrast between progress and retrogress, what is and what cannot be and between everything and nothing. He said we must, therefore, be careful not to land ourselves into the hands of yet another pharaoh. Let us not be April Fools of independence. April fools of the 1st Republic but let us not be April fools of the 2nd Republic, he said.
A lot of Skirmishes continued to be reported leading to many NCP militants and supporters' arrested. For example, on Tuesday the 22nd March 1977, at Fitzgerald Street in Banjul between 18.00hrs and 18.30hrs, four NCP socalled stalwarts were arrested and charged with idle and disorderly. It was reported that on the 21st March, they were involved in an incident which involved a Cabinet Minister of Education, Youth Sports, and Culture. They were reported to be one Bekai Dampha, businessman, one Kekuta Jatta, businessman, Lang Jammeh, a tailor, and one Musa Ceesay, a businessman. They all pleaded not guilty.
Reports on the other hand also criticised the NCP for insulting people at rallies such as the president as well as ministers of government. They always cited Mr. Solo Darboe's speeches as insults. But Mr. Darboe at the time always says Sir Dawda was his step-father in-law.
According to reports, in his speech at a rally held in Banjul four days to the election, he said he had decided to come back home to take part in politics because of what he said, he was hearing from abroad. He said the majority of the people were suffering in The Gambia. He also said Jawara thought that all the people were sleeping. He said he would tell Jawara that majority of the people were not sleeping. He asserted that all Gambians were equal. He said Jawara had removed all those who were with the PPP in 1962. He said the only people who said Jawara was not fit to be head of state were the only ones who were left with him except two or three people. He said he told the people in Allunghari, Gambisara, Garawol that Jawara was only out to fool them and as he said those people agreed and said they knew that since. He finally said the only thing left for the PPP was to tell lies, the outlook reported.
So as you can see, Sir Dawda was tactically trying to win over the other ethnic groups who had not earlier on supported him, while the opposition was struggling to not only keep the support of such people but to win the large majority of the mandinka ethnic group by showing how Jawara had betrayed them.
Continued: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3524
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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