POLITICAL BLUNDER?

FACT is, the joint statement condemning the detention and demanding thorough investigation into the alleged death of a protester should have come out of the Gambia. The initial protest led by Solo Sandeng was to protest the unbalanced electoral scale that is heavily tilted in favor of Jammeh and his Ruling APRC Party. The Opposition parties (G6) kicked and screamed but their non-aggressive cries for 4 years fell on deaf ears. So the Thursay 14 April protest that had Solo and group arrested was not only  complementary to the G6's efforts but a necessary starter.

The arrest, reported torture and alleged murder of any of the detainees, should have garnered an explosive NATIONAL reaction. But since it's a political issue, I was expecting an even more aggressive, pragmatic and rapid reaction from ALL political parties. Now we're left to wonder what must happen in that country to solicit any sort of practical political agitation?

THEN Lawyer Darboe upon hearing about the killing of his party's senior executive member and a woman brutally tortured, summoned his executive mostly the elderly, demanding to be given 'Solo Dead or Alive'. It was that simple. But the unruly, uncultured creatures in uniform devoid of any respect, violently interrupted and arrested them. 24 hours passed. Then 48. 72. Arraigned, Charged, denied bail. Eight days later, the only thing we've formally heard from Ousainou's partners and party leaders was some silly, unnecessary, not-so-urgent MoU from an Interparty meeting where they shared table with the party oppressing them. Nothing about what could have easily set that country in turmoil. As a matter of fact, Hon. Mai Fatty did leak that a couple of them (GMC and NCP) suggested that the Party Leaders be attending the court sittings when Ousainou and co appear as a show of solidarity only to be shut down by PDOIS and NRP because they feared that'd bring too much attention and supporters, and could lead to chaos, violence. REALLY?

NOW this joint public statement calling for the release of political detainees issued from bodies in Senegal, deepens the frustration from the deafening silence in Banjul. The G6 should have been the FIRST to openly give their take, condemning in the strongest terms, what happened. I do NOT care what meetings they've hard or are having. It's becoming a little too late. Potential Political Blunder!

I've stuck my neck out quite so often for our politicians arguing that other bodies in the country should step up too. And I still believe so. But this one IS THEIRS. Their fight to pick. So I'm still very disappointed but I'm awaiting their individual appearances on the radios to explain this one to redeem themselves. All I know is Yaya and the APRC might come out 'winners' if we surrender to them the advantage to compel them to compromise. I HOPE WE DON'T.

The Fight to Free Our Country Continues.

Pata PJ

IT IS A NEW DAWN, GAMBIA!

Good Morning! It's only a customary greeting but certainly not good mornings in Gambia.

Our hearts and prayers with Solo Sandeng and his group, Lawyer Darboe his executive and others arrested in connection, for peacefully marching. We're with you and your families.

DISAPPOINTED but no longer SAD. These folks living in horrible conditions for the past few days knew the risk involved in wanting to break chains of oppression but they knew it had to be done. They put country first, even before family. Revolutions or critical changes in anything goes this way. They might be hurting but they live with a clearer conscience as they pave way for a chapter, newer and needed in that country. Brevity, Yes. Dutiful, ABSOLUTELY. Do not listen to anybody telling you otherwise.

The Gambia did not have an Independence Struggle from the British as did some other African countries like Bissau Guinea, Kenya, etc. But our struggle to free us from a two-decade dictatorship is equally painful. That our own would do us worse than the colonialist he castigates from day one, makes this an even bitter, sharper pain. So I am proud of these people. I wish Solo was my Dad. I wish my father did what Ousainou, Kemeseng, Femi Peters and folks in their 60s are doing for the Gambia. I adore and respect Mrs Jawara and the womenfolk who risk it all. Inshallah, even if this battle is not won, things shall never be the same. The unchallenged aggression by the State is unsustainable. Sooner than later, like the empires and kingdoms of evil before it, shall fall. We cannot relent. Forcing a people's hands into forcefully cutting chains and cuffs comes at a price. And our love and commitment to mother Gambia would lessen that cost. Yaya and his people want to perpetuate violence to burn down the Gambia because they either do not know better or do not have much to lose. To you and I who live and breathe love and patriotism, we are on the right side of history. We will triumph. And I hope it is sooner.

When your back is against the wall, it's either him or you!

GAMBIA IS NOT PEACEFUL. YAYA JAMMEH TAKES BLAME!

When the then 29-year old military officer Lt Yaya Jammeh and his gang of Bandits disrupted the peace, tranquility and democracy in the little but smiling Nation, they enjoyed the benefit of the doubt from innocent Gambia and her people even though ALL what they had advanced to be the reason for that treasonous usurpation of power came out to be untrue. These bunch of poorly mannered and poisonous serpents first brutalized, robbed to enrich themselves before Yaya one-by-one eliminated all of them to create a wider more comfortable space for himself at the expense of every Gambian, to continue brutalize and amass riches and wealth.

Twenty-two years on, Yaya still wants to own and expense the Gambia and her people like a personal property. WE LET! Because we let, we MUST stop!

YAYA JAMMEH DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOURS AND HE IS WILLING TO USE YOU TO KILL AND DIE FOR HIM BUT HE WILL NEVER DIE FOR YOU!

YOU, and your family are more than indentured slaves for Jammeh and his Tsar ambition. It is insulting and unfathomable that Yaya will let loose his animals of absolutely no intellect or intelligence to rudely manhandle our most respected and most vulnerable - Elderly men, women and young ladies. There has not been a crime or a wrong that Jammeh did not do to Gambia. This STRANGER in our midst has become a cancer that is beyond treatment. There is not a fabric of our society that has remained the same since Jammeh was birthed. No respect, love and care for any body or institution. The Family, The Church, The Mosque all have been adultrated and infected with the lowest form of indecency. Dirtied beyond cleansing. Morally decayed and left for dead. ALL the making of a fatherless child.

Since 1994, starting with the blatant disrespect and disgrace of the First Republic politicians and lifelong civil servants, this little bastards sow seeds of discord and distrust. They divided us as they set out to achieve what they had set out to do. Nobody got spared, and we condoned.

The latest assault on decency should be the last. That people peacefully congregating to express dissent in broad daylight could be picked up without resistance, to be followed by reported torture and alleged death is not only unGambian but inconceivable. For that to be followed by the rude interruption and forceful arrest of elders and respected figures in our country in the persons of Lawyer Darboe, Hon Kemeseng Jammeh, Hon M. Sanneh, Femi Peters, and a host of people who commit no crime, to have sent DAYS in detention and the Gambia remains the same is, worrying. The visuals of fatherless kids in uniform beating and throwing unarmed folks in trucks in the streets was enough to force a stop to this illness. These security forces come from homes. Even if claims that some of them are not Gambian were to true, majority of our men and women in uniform are Gambians. They are My, Yours and Ousainou's sons, nephews, etc. AND THEY STAND AND WATCH? Sadly, For what they have been arrested for was what we saw on TV when Yaya returned to the country and his party mobilized an even larger crowd to welcome him in a procession more vile and violent. How is there one set of law and order for some and a totally different one for others? And we hear hypocritical calls and cries of 'we want peace' from the idiots and satanic children? This cannot be!

Yaya is hellbent on setting the Gambia ablaze and we have to admit it. All the threats and promises that the peace and security of the country will not compromise are a facade. A little. The Gambia is only peaceful and secured when his interest is not threatened. YOU and I are NOT in peace. The time is ripe for Yaya to be pushed out. And you and I are to do that. Let us not play into the fear that he would refuse to go. The peoples power is superior and no amount of tear gas or baton could stop it.

Solo Sandeng, Fatoumatta Jawara, Nogoi Njie and all arrested with them, Ousainou Darboe and those arrested with them must return home. Home, sooner or later, should not stop the people's revolt to claim their country back. Yaya is only an elected president, NOT a God or Prophet. If he is celebrating coup d'etat but murdering incarcerating those who want to do the same BUT would not allow what are constitutionally legal means like elections and peaceful protests, something's got to give. WE DECIDE, NOT HIM.

WHAT/WHO IS NEUTRAL IN GAMBIAN POLITICS?

As we impatiently and frantically (and rightly so) crave and cry out loud for an opposition merger, going into the presidential elections in December, a lot of theories been thrown out there mainly cos of the history of the parties and their leaders been unable to come up with one candidate to run against the incumbent. As a result some folks argue a party-led, some primaries and most in the Diaspora suggesting a Neutral/Independent candidate.

BUT WHO IS NEUTRAL in our politics today? Across the length and breadth of the Gambia, ANYBODY who has been NEUTRAL for 20 years in the face of injustice cannot be entrusted in leading. The person must either be cuddling Jammeh on the low or disinterested in change (don't want to use selfish) while they collect paycheck. Otherwise, name me ONE! Just one. We might say someone who is NOT openly associated with any of the parties but NO Gambian sick and tired of the political banditry of the APRC could have been independent. Cos they could have been voting. And if they do, the party/leader they voted for enjoys their sympathy. In that case, they aren't neutral. And if they've been in the country but hadn't been voting in all election cycles, he helps perpetrate the awful regime in Banjul.

Things are messy, and they're expected to be. That's politics. It's hard to have a functional party/parties give up a lot to yield to others. Our political circumstance is almost unique, in that most places where coalitions succeed, their electoral laws accommodated second round ballot. In such scenarios, the party that pulled the most votes (comes second to the incumbent), solicits support and alliance from the other parties. Gambia does not have that. That means they have to kickbox, yell and scream to find a winning formula. Everyone knows that is a gigantic task.

However, tough and rocky as things are, the optimist in me believe that the party leaders will get it this time because each election cycle is more crucial than the last. And because of that, I trust them to meet at a table to figure out a compromise to present one candidate at the polls. I still retain that faith in them until proven otherwise. But to pressure them to just pick 'anybody' who's neutral, I'm not in for that. To me, no concerned Gambian is neutral in the face of injustice.

I'M NOT SAYING JAMMEH ISN'T A COWARD, BUT....

It's always the aggregation of the little, 'unimportant' details that we ignore that gets us in an uncontrollable inferno as a nation that watch and pray a Tsunami comes to put it out. That's how it had/has been for the Gambia in her case against president Jammeh.

The concession of our majority voice, power and ability out of Indifference, Complacency, Fear (perceived or legitimate), Sycophancy, or even Love, to Jammeh and his regime, has groomed and emboldened him into being the all mighty figure that he is today. He's hoarded all individual and state powers and exploited the state institutions and instruments as he conveniently and unfrightenly bully and terrorize us ALL as a people.

Obviously there's been individuals who never yielded to or allowed themselves to be cowered into silence for the lifetime of the A(F)PRC regime. But a greater bunch of us had either given an unnecessarily excessive benefit of the doubt to the regime or have been indifferent. We dismissed Jammeh's 'trying' antics as 'silly', 'momentary' or 'temporary insanity' while he all along had been plotting to tighten his noose.

Just like all bullies, had enough of us stood up and refused to allow this regime grow so thorny, certainly, Jammeh would have understood and respect the consequences of his improper and illegitimate actions. We have laws in the country for a reason. If the country's premiere CEO becomes the first to disrespect and contravene those laws, we all crawl to his feet and remain at his mercy.

So it is not unfathomable that Jammeh would unilaterally, verbally pronounced a SECULAR Gambia an Islamic State, follow that with a nationwide address that his pronouncement is to come through by using an arm of government (the legislature) to get him his wish. The audacity of Jammeh, an elected president to confidently declare this to the welcoming applause of a house of lawmakers IN AN ELECTION YEAR goes  to validate our argument that he's so sure that this treasonous intent to thwart the constitution, is inconsequential. The fact that in an election year when political volatility is high and the electorate have the chance to vote him out does not unsettle him, CALLING JAMMEH A COWARD would be hard to sell. If he is indeed a coward, he must be doing a hell lot of great job masking that because from his actions, he does not give a Fuck. The arrogance and lack of respect is indescribable.

We have a serious fight in our hands. The country needs to stand up to her servant and employee, and demand that he be accountable to us. We need a serious aggregation of efforts and amalgamation of our dissenting institutions (opposition, not just political) to abort this regime. We have missed so many chances, and each year Yaya reaches a new height of I-can't-believe-he-did-that. Shariah State? If you think because we are a Muslim majority and shouldn't be concerned, the cost you'd pay for an unprepared country under a totalitarian to dictate and implement what he's had no clue about, you might as well sign the deadly warrant of impunity to a brute. This Shit is seriously exhausting but the power and ability reside in us to end it. How we do that is for us all to figure that out, and I hope we do SOON.

Peace To The Planet.

Pata PJ