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Momodou
Denmark
11705 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Oct 2007 : 22:52:34
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FOCUS ON POLITICS
1987 GENERAL ELECTIONS
OPPOSITION ANTICIPATES WIDESPREAD DISAFFECTION;
RULING PARTY BANKS ON EXISTING ELECTION MACHINE;
With Suwaibou Touray
We have been focusing on politics in general and Gambian Politics in particular. This motivates us to follow the narration of events from pre-colonial to post-independence era.
We have gone far into the narration of events that occurred in 1987. We are dealing with the 1987 General election campaign and the contradictions that emanated.
Let us continue from where we have stopped.
It should be clear that both the presidential and parliamentary elections were done simultaneously. The NCP leader also stood as a parliamentary candidate in Central Baddibu, against the incumbent PPP candidate Dr. Lamin Kebba, alias Nafa Saho.
Something is unique about this constituency. The NCP leader since independence and up to 1982 was the favourite candidate in the constituency. Dr. Lamin Saho defeated him in 1982 when he was incarcerated in prison for his alleged role in the 1981 rebellion and again in 1987.
During this period, Mr . Saho who had won the seat with a small majority of just 95 votes had now consolidated his hold on the constituency. Saho who was said to have studied in Germany and was alleged to have been helped by his German friends/ philanthropists who concentrated in their projects in his constituency.
According to the Nation, the philanthropist group seemed to be interfering in our internal affairs by supporting a particular political party, the PPP. The Nation cited the Frederich Ebert Foundation that also sponsored seminars and other gatherings for the PPP, such as the “Jakarloo,” thus strengthening their grip of the country at the expense of the other political parties.
The Nation said it is an open secret that Dr. Lamin Nafa Saho was being propped up in his constituency by West German Assistance. They said the Germans had financed several local projects in Central Baddibu, which Dr. Saho was using to campaign. Many saw their motive as helping their friend to be re-elected to parliament and whether that had any reciprocal effect remained to be known.
The nation wondered what the government’s reaction would be if such assistance had been channeled through one of the opposition parties. They opined that they would most likely accuse them of selling the country or being in the pay book of foreigners, as they had done to the GPP leader.
The GPP leader himself had stood against both a PPP candidate, Mr. Baboucarr Sanyang, and an NCP Candidate, Mr. Bubacarr Sanyang, in the Kantora constituency, where he had been an incumbent for many years. He was still the incumbent at the time but the difference now was that he was on his own and did not enjoy the privileges that were initially accorded to him such as using government vehicles, radio, NGO projects and so on. So the campaign was tough.
The PPP this time around said they refused to entertain what they called revolts within their ranks, meaning those applicants who were rejected but instead go back and contest against them after their rejection.
In the opinion or analysis of the PPP on the elections, the PPP organ agreed that it was going to be tough but said they would still win. According to the PPP organ, The Gambia Times, the oppositions’ principal hope and calculation was based on the anticipated widespread disaffection and what they called the traumatic infighting within their ranks.
For the PPP, the organ said, they were hoping on their election machine, which had helped them win all these years. This was the time some members of the PPP used to say that no matter which university one studied politics, when you come to Gambia you must study their Gambian politics.
The PPP election machine was put to a test against an intellectual in Wuli East, Mr. Sidia Jatta. Mr. Jatta who stood in Wuli East as a candidate had many problems in the initial phase before the people back home could understand him.
At the time, it was Sidia’s elder brother, Alhagie Foday Kebba Jatta, who was the chief of Wuli. One can imagine how the people in the area felt when they heard that Sidia wanted to stand in an opposition ticket. It was interpreted in so many ways. Some said Sidia was standing because he did not want his brother to remain as chief of Wuli. For some, Sidia;s candidature was synonymous to dismantling his family’s relationship. Others felt that, Sidia as educated as he is, should not bother himself to stand in politics; that he already had a good job under the Jawara regime etc.
Before Sidia’s departure to campaign in Wuli (1987) , many delegations were sent from the chief asking him to withdraw his candidature. It was not easy to convince such people that it is the right of every citizen to participate directly or indirectly in determining the government of one’s country that he was simply doing his national responsibility. Despite the clarity of this assertion, this was not convincing enough to the delegates who believed that Sidia’s brother was already a king “Mansa” and as such the president could dismiss or destroy his “Manasayaa” (kingship).
After all the explanations given to these delegations, the chief could not understand or that he refused to accept the decision taken by Sidia and appeared to have taken a confrontational attitude after Sidia’s return.
By the time Sidia arrived in Sutukoba, his birthplace, people were already agitated to believe that the brother’s position as chief of Wuli was in jeopardy and for what the PPP propagandists say ‘his dismissal was a foregone conclusion.’ But Sidia knew where the pressure was coming from.
Sidia, who was obviously aware of his people’s level of political awareness decided to arrive in silence as a method to calm down any potential building of tension . He joined a commercial vehicle and in arrived in Baja kunda.After arriving there, he walked the remaining four kilometers on foot to Sutukoba.
News spread that the much talked about brother of the chief had arrived.
Interestingly enough, the rumours reaching the people also alerted some who became curious and wanted to hear what Sidia had to say.
Sidia then commenced his campaign in his home village. A sizable crowd gathered to listen to him. He spoke lengthily saying among other things that his involvement stemmed from the conviction that the Gambia belongs to the Gambian people; that the wealth in the country is the collective property of all the people. He explained to the people how they pay taxes to those they have entrusted with the responsibility to use that wealth in the general welfare and interest of the people. He explained both direct and indirect taxation and how the general populace should benefit from that wealth.
Sidia was very patient with his people. He explained the role of the parliamentarians and explained why he had resigned to enter into politics. He said he was educated by the collective wealth of all the people; that if he is not to be a selfish person, he should utilize that knowledge to benefit the people by way of sharing that knowledge.
Mr. Jatta told the gathering that the cause of the people had been betrayed by the so-called elites; that the colonialists had enslaved the country. He said the reason why we fought them is to free ourselves from the yoke of colonialists. He said but the people who took over the helm of state infact put on the same shoes left behind by the colonialists; that they too did not want the people to be free.
He then explained how Jawara had sold not only himself to president Abdou Diouf of Senegal but made the Gambia to owe allegiance to a foreign power or authority.
Sidia analyzed the Gambian economy and told the people how the wealth could be utilized to invest into the productive base of the economy, how the industrial based could be developed to create value added commodities which would generate wealth that could be ploughed back to create more wealth.
He told the people that he would never sacrifice the future of our children. He gave them inspiration; that there is nothing that we could not do. He said they intend to show that people can work selflessly in the interest of the Nation and people without any desire for status, power or wealth. He also spoke about the
principles of the PDOIS party; that they are willing to do this so that others can learn; that they want to show this with the type of sincerity and devotion; that without humility, our Nation will not stand and the aspirations of our people cannot be realized nor the future of our children be safeguarded.
The PDOIS Wuli East candidate maintained that parties in the Gambia generally do not have any clear plan as to where they intend to lead the people to nor a body of leaders who are enlightened, just , sincere and committed to their Nation and who can win the confidence of the people because of their maturity and honesty.
Sidia then opened the floor to whoever wished to say something. He said they are advocating for peoples democracy; that they are not like the PPP or any other party who simply hand pick speakers of their choice and the masses simply become onlookers. An elderly man opted to say something. He was given the mike. This must have been the first time this man touched a microphone. He was shaking like a leaf. He must have associated the mike to the king. He, however, said he was not going to support Sidia because of what he said the chief had done to them.
He also said if you give these two key positions to the Jattas, they the people of Wuli would not have peace, referring to their community fight over a rice field.
Sidia however explained to him that he and his brother are two different personalities; that the reason why he and his colleagues had established an opposition party was to bring about change so as to correct those very wrongs; that he could not take responsibilities for whatever transpired between them and his brother.
After this message was heard in Sutukoba the chief also started his campaign. He went around Wuli to tell the people that they should not listen to Sidia; that even though he sent many people to discourage him from standing he was bent on standing. He called on the people not to vote for somebody who would not listen to his own elder brother and so on and so forth.
The PPP also used the EEC feeder road project going on at the time.
Unfortunately this time around there was somebody who could explain the circumstance of the projects.
Next
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 109/2007, 17 – 18 September 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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