Gambia News:Gambia's opposition Leader SIDIA takes on President Jammeh

WHO IS FOR OR AGAINST THE 1997 CONSTITUTION? SIDIA takes on President Jammeh
I want to begin by saying that the 1997 Constitution is the Constitution for the Republic and those who care to know what was happening during the period, knew that there were people who were opposed to the 1997 Constitution and were calling it a military Constitution and asked people to vote against it. But there were other people who worked day and night to make sure that people voted for it and I have evidence of what I am trying to say here.
When the draft constitution was being drafted, those who cared to defend the Republic contributed to the drafting of that Constitution, some as individuals and some as institutions; and this document entitled The Judicial Foundation Of The Second Republic contributed to the drafting of the Constitution, and when it eventually came out Mr Speaker, we took it upon ourselves to explain what exactly it meant. We serialized it chapter by chapter and simplified it for people to understand so that when they come to vote, they would know what they are voting for. These are the series of booklets we published from book one to book twelve.
All that was done because in our view, a referendum will not be a referendum if people don’t know what they are voting for. That is why we prepared the ground for the referendum and when the referendum was about to be held, Mr Speaker, the first two weeks, the slogan was ‘vote no’. Some were told that they should vote no because that’s the only way they could dispense with the military and that was their understanding of the issue. We took the ground in two weeks and in two weeks, we changed the situation from ‘no’ to a ‘yes’ slogan and indeed the referendum succeeded. Those who care to know what was happening and who was doing what in that period, will understand what i am saying.
So the 1997 constitution was indeed the work of the Gambian people. All those who cared to live in a republic and all those who cared to defend fundamental rights and freedoms, which is contained in book four of our series will understand what I am saying.
So if anybody wants to know who contributed what to the draft Constitution, please read this document, Views On The Judicial Foundation Of The Second Republic and then you will understand the struggle that was waged to make sure that the 1997 constitution was voted for because we wanted a republic.
It is different from the 1970 Constitution and the president looked at me and said you should have retained the 1970 Constitution and of course we were opposed to the 1970 Constitution because it has monarchical provisions and some of these have now been transferred into 1997 Constitution. But I will not go into that because some of you know them and that maybe it could be taken again at another time. Mr Speaker, I thought it is important for me to say this because what the president was saying the other day was misleading.
The Constitution is not an AFPRC or APRC Constitution. It is the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia. Some of us had sleepless night. He explained how he left Basse and was in Tallinding to gather all the materials he needed to sensitise people the same day. “So it was not easy for us to have the 1997 Constitution. I know how it came about,” he continued.
At this stage, the Speaker interrupted and asked whether Sidia was part of the AFPRC? In response Sidia said he wasn’t because they the AFPRC were opposed to the Constitution. That’s the reality for anybody who cares to know the objective situation, please go back to the archives and read newspapers at that time. You will know who was for and who was against. They were against it! Circumstances forced them to accept it but their slogan was ‘no election’.
At this stage National Assembly member Sulayman Joof, Member for Serre Kunda West rose to question who he was referring to when he mentioned “they.”Sidia asked him whether he was asking him a question? In response, AM Joof said he need to know whom Sidia is referring to when he said we were for and they were against. Who were they? I cannot keep on saying AFPRC and that is why the pronouncement ‘they’ came into being. They is referring to AFPRC finish! You want repetition. So that’s it. This is our Constitution. It is not owned by anybody. Anybody who was interested in having a Republic in the Gambia worked for it. This is our proof… if you go to records of newspapers at the time from 1994 to pre 1996. Please read newspapers of that period and then if you see the opposite of what I am saying, come to me, I will accept what you have. 


Source:Foroyaa.gm

Gambia News: Press Release :Gambia Pro-Democracy Group Launched

PRESS RELEASE

                                                                          

The Coalition for Change -The Gambia (CCG), a civil, human and political rights organization, which brings together a cross-section of the Gambian community at home and abroad, has been launched.  The group is a non-partisan organization established to challenge the dictatorship and restore basic freedoms in TheGambia through nonviolent action.

The Coalition's formation is necessitated by the repressive political environment in which Gambians find themselves. Virtually all avenues of orderly political change have been shut by a despot determined to cling on to power by any means necessary.

Under normal circumstances, the CCG would have been registered with authority to engage in peaceful protests, submit grievances to the authorities, and hope that they would act to redress them.  But The Gambia’s story the past sixteen years has been all but conducive to the free expression of ideas. The political atmosphere in the country is extremely toxic for media practitioners, and journalists who dare criticize President Yahya Jammeh face risks ranging from arrest and prolonged detention to death.  To add insult to injury, political parties are routinely denied permission to hold public meetings and leaders who dare defy Yahya Jammeh's orders face arrest and jail.

Despite the repression, corruption and economic hardship Gambians are faced with, no one dares organize peaceful political protests against the regime. The last time peaceful protests were organized in April 2000, at least 14 innocent young students were gunned down by security agents. Additionally, opposition leaders have been rounded up only to be released after languishing in detention for exercising their democratic rights.  No institution or interest group is safe from the regime’s overreach. As a result, Gambians have by and large succumbed to fear as a result of the regime's ruthlessness.

CCG is calling on all groups and individuals from every sector of the community, in The Gambia and abroad, to join us in the struggle to dislodge the dictator from the helm in order to restore democracy and the rule of law. It is a challenge we must overcome. Members of the security services are particularly encouraged to join the struggle to save the dignity and honour of their profession.

And with the regime's total control of the media, CCG will employ a combination of social media and setting up of an FM station, Radio Free Gambia.  These mediums will be used to spread CCG’s messages before embarking on peaceful marches designed to end Jammeh's reign of terror.  Information about specific venues and actions to be taken will be provided as the situation warrants. 

CCG members are bound together by a common objective of ending TheGambia’s dictatorship and as well as the climate of fear that has so consumed Gambian society. 

The CCG calls on the regime to immediately:

·        Repeal laws that unduly restrict freedom of expression

·        Ensure equal access to public media for all political establishments

·        Organize a referendum to institute Presidential term limits

·        Free all political prisoners

·        End the arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture and murders

·        Investigate all mysterious deaths and disappearances

·        Respect freedom of assembly

We pray for success and look forward with hope for the support and participation of all Gambians in this noble and daunting task.

CONTACTS:

(1)   CoalitionForChangeGambia@gmail.com

(2)   TWITTER: @ChangeGambia, @KomboMansa, @theGambiaVoice

(3)   Face-book group: Coalition for Change – The Gambia

Issued in Banjul, The Gambia, April 2^nd, 2011. (CCG).

Gambia News: GMC Faces another Political Blockade from Jammeh Government

Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) party has been denied a permit by the police to hold a political rally, the party youth league leader confirmed. 
GMC’s National Youth League is scheduled to stage a mass political rally today in Sanchaba, but its members have been moving forth and back from the offices of the Police IG in Banjul  to the Police Commissioner in KMC and then to Yundum police. 
The Public Order Act of The Gambia requires political parties to apply for permit from permit from the police inorder to use public address systems – loudspeakers – in their rallies. 
However, opposition parties are being denied permit by the police. For instance, Mr Femi Peters of United Democratic Party was last year arrested, detained, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to one year mandatory jail term after his party held a political rally without permit. The police denied his party permit. 
Meanwhile, the denial of permit to GMC, the latest political party, could be described as yet another political blockade for the party. 
Mai Fatty, GMC leader’s parent were recently arrested and detained by Basse police after some supporters put up the party’s flags in his home village.


Source:dailynews.gm