Dear Gambians in the Diaspora,

First of all I would like to crave your indulgence to hide my true identity and to simply identify myself as Princess Buga Gambia. This is for the safety and security of some of my relatives who live and work in the Gambia. I am a Gambian citizen and a university student of Political Science here in North America and my particular area of research interest is African politics in general and fixed presidential term limits in particular.

My aim here is to share my thoughts with all of you with the hope of building a consensus on one way to effectively and peacefully remove Jammeh from power in next year’s general elections of our homeland.  I have a simple and very easily implementable five point plan which, if followed, would surely and definitely result in a defeat for Jammeh in 2016. However, whether he would concede defeat and get out of State House or refuse to hand over power is another issue all together.

This is the first of my 5 points theories on how Jammeh would lose the 2016 Gambian elections. My postulation is that the Gambian Diaspora has 50% of the power to effect political change in the Gambia because we can control almost 50% of the Gambian votes which could all very easily go to the opposition. This is how and why I came to this thesis:

According to the Migration Policy Institute, there were 65,000 Gambians living abroad in 2010. Going by that statistics, it is a fair assumption to say that there are at least a 100,000 Gambians currently living in the diaspora in the form of “semesters” and expatriates (working for International Organizations such as the UN, ICC, WHO, FOA, universities etc). Yes at least a 100, 000 Gambians in the diaspora!!!

And as we all know, Gambians are a shining example of a people who, not only care for our immediate family but for the whole extended family as well. This is evident from the huge amount of remittances we send home every year which could even be higher than the government’s annual budget. Even me as a student and a part-time worker, I am responsible for 9 people back home. It will therefore be very close to call to postulate that on average, each of us in the diaspora has responsibility over at least 5 voting aged people in the Gambia (say our mother, father, a brother a sister and our spouse/partner). Our responsibility naturally goes with some degree of control/influence/right/say over our families/relatives/friends and so therefore, each of us can influence at least, on average, about 5 people back home. Recalling that we are about 100,000 in the diaspora, this means that together, we can influence 500, 000 voters!!!!

According to the 2006 election statistics, 796,929 people registered to vote. Let us take population increase as a factor and estimate that the number of registered voters for 2016 at 1million. This means that by influencing 500,000 voters in the Gambia we are in control of 50% of the votes!!!!!

Based on this analysis therefore, I believe that we the people living in the diaspora can generate the greatest influence to remove Jammeh from power through the ballot box next year without even stepping feet in the Gambia to vote. Without any more coups, violence or blood shed!!!

All we have to do is to appeal, coax, instruct, threaten or do whatever it takes to get each and every single member of our families, friends and relatives above the ages of 18 to register and vote for the opposition (voter apathy/abstinence is what keeps Jammeh winning as the majority of the Gambians hate him and refuses to vote at all). It is really that simple. We get them all to register and get them all to vote for the opposition.

I think the greatest strength of my approach/point is that even if we assume that the Gambian Opposition will not unite behind one party/candidate and that we in the diaspora will not unanimously and collectively agree on a single party/leader, this plan can still work and get Jammeh out of State House. This is because the one area in which all of us diaspora Gambians are united in is that we are all fed up with Jammeh and his government and we all want to see him out of power. That is what unites us and that is our strength!!!! So by influencing 500,000 voters, we have successfully denied Jammeh of 50% of the votes!!!!

In conclusion, I strongly believe that we the Gambians in the diaspora have 50% control/influence over the results of next year’s Presidential election. This is the first point of my 5 points agenda for political change in the Gambia next year and each of my remaining 4 points adds 10% to the possibility of getting back our country from Jammeh. We don’t have to unite, we don’t have to come together, we don’t have to agree, we don’t have to contribute money for anything, we don’t have to form any coalitions, our brothers do not have to plan for any coups or assassination of Jammeh. This plan can work……. Especially if my remaining 4 points are added to the agenda!!!

The second of my five point plan to get rid of Jammeh through the ballot box will immediately follow the publication of this one in the form of an open letter to the opposition parties of the Gambia. To Lawyer Ousainou Darboe in particular and to all the opposition parties in general. Watch this space for more!!!

Magistrate Ebrima Jaiteh of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court who was picked up at his residence in Madina Salam on the night of November 6th has been released from Police custody. Jaiteh was kept in police custody for over week in apparent violation of the 72 hour limit in the constitution that suspects could be held before they are released on bail or taken to court. Fatu Radio had confirmed that Jaiteh was held at the serious crimes unit of The Gambia Police Force, at the Force headquarters in the capital Banjul.

His arrest, according to sources, is in connection with land case he struck out from his court and transferred to Bundung Magistrate’s court on the basis that his court lacked the jurisdiction. Although he acted professionally, the government still became dissatisfied with his actions and ordered for his arrest immediately after the word got out to The Dictator.

Magistrate Jaiteh has presided over many high profile cases, among them, the case of the Calipha General of Dasilameh, Sheikh Muhideen Hydara and the Alkalo of the village, Buya Touray. Magistrate Jaiteh freed both Hydra and Touray after a long and protracted legal case which was handled by several magistrates. His judgement to free both men stemmed out what he called “prosecution’s lack of credible and compelling.

He further stated that the prosecution has failed flat to proof that the announcement over the national Television sanctioning the Eidul Fitr on a specific day was from The President. He thereby acquitted and discharged the accused persons on counts one and two respectively.

Another case that he presided over was the case of Lamin Waa Juwara, former minister for local government and regional administration, whom he also acquitted and discharged in May 2015.

Magistrate Jaiteh was granted bail by The Brikama Principal magistrate, Hilary Abeke at the sum of D50,000, a little over a thousand US dollars. He is charged with Abuse of office and negligence.

The High court in The Gambia has finally set a hearing date for the embattled journalist and managing director of Taranga FM, Alhaji Ceesay. Alhaji was scheduled to go to court on October 13, but the case was called off because of lack of high court judge. The Judge hearing his case, Justice Mohammed Ban Azumi Balarabe was said to have travelled to his native country for vacation and not even his clerk knew when he was set to return. The case is now scheduled for November 11 and Justice Abi is expected to preside over it. The world’s attention is now turned on Justice Abi as to how the case will be handled after the witnesses fled the country.

The ongoing trial of Taranga FM radio station Manager, Alagie Ceesay has been roundly condemned by the International Community and Gambian political activists as a sham. The State’s star witnesses, Fatoumata Drammeh and Zainab Kone have since absconded the country because they didn’t want to serve as false witnesses against Alagie Ceesay who they see as an innocent man. And if there are any indication, the world community after all has good reason to doubt the credibility of this entire case. Both Fatoumata and Zainab were Protocol Officers at the State House.

With the new discovery by Faturadio Investigative Team of an elaborate scheme by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), in collaboration with Africell (the Cell Phone company with which Alagie’s phone line is subscribed) and Jimbe Jammeh, a Protocol Officer at the State House to frame Alagie Ceesay, any attempt to send this man to prison will represent abuse of power at its best.

Alagie Ceesay was first arrested on July 2^nd 2015, by the NIA. He was held incommunicado for 2 weeks during which time he was also severely tortured. On July 13, they dropped him off for dead on the roadside around the Airport. His release was met with a big sigh of relief by family, human rights and journalist groups, and the media who were by now making noise around the world demanding his unconditional release since he hadn’t been charged with any crime.

However, it turned out to look like his well-wishers celebrated way too soon, for just when they thought his ordeal was finally over, Alagie was rearrested on the night of July 16. What happened before and after this arrest exposes the true intent of his captors – the system is determined to put this poor guy away for good by hook or crook.

Before being picked up, the NIA went to Africell and asked to have a SIM card assigned with Alagie’s number and have his phone blocked temporary. Once these were done, the NIA sent via Whatsapp, a picture text image of President Jammeh with a gun and bullet pointing to his head with the heading Sniper 15. Prior to this, the same picture was circulating on the Internet where it was posted by Fatou Camara of Faturadio, who in turn received it from anonymous sources in The Gambia.

According to both Zainab and Fatoumata, they both received a call from an NIA agent who would only identify himself as Kay as soon as they received this text. He informed them of the arrival of the text and instructed them not to delete it. When Faturadio researched who this Kay could be, the description could fit only one agent called Kebba Secka. Even when Alagie was in custody, text messages continued to be sent to the girls’ phones from supposedly this same phone number.

Information from security sources reaching The Fatu Radio news desk has alleged that The Gambian authorities have started monitoring the activities of Fatoumata Tambajang, President Jammeh’s former health minister who is now very vocal on issues affecting the country. Senior security operative who reached us said the situation has been occasioned by Mrs Tambajang’s active participation in efforts to restore sanity and internationally accepted norms in the country. Alarmed by the apparent rejuvenation of organization and seriousness Mrs Tambajang brought to the struggle, President Jammeh thus decided to put her under his radar. Like it is happening to all other opposition leaders and perceived enemies of the regime, Mrs Tambajang according to our sources is now placed under constant surveillance.

Just late Monday night, Fatu Radio News Desk received this message from one of our trusted sources: “Fatu I got this information about aunty Fatoumata Tambajang that a team is assigned to monitor her. She should watch her back and should particularly also be looking out for a white pickup truck following her. The team is to monitor her here in the Gambia please take this very serious,” the message ends

Fatoumata has been in The US for a little over three weeks, during which she had interviews with online radios in the diaspora. In all her interview, she never minced her words each time she referred to The Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. She has been leading voice calling on Gambians to work together to bring about the much needed change in The Gambia.

Mrs Tambajang has also promised to negotiate between members of the opposition in The Gambia to form a coalition. Many in the diaspora have called on her to form her own political party to take on Jammeh in the upcoming elections.

Fatoumata Tambajang visited to The US on the invitation of Coalition for Change and partners to attend the International Civil Society Forum on Gambia, held at the Marriott hotel in downtown New York. The forum brought together Gambian Opposition party leaders, policy experts and activists to work on creating a common framework to address challenges facing The Gambia. It also looked at protecting a common position on what role Gambians and the international community must play to promote peaceful democratic change. The event was held on October 1, 2015.

We, representatives of Civil Society Organizations met in New York, on the margins of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly on October 1-2, 2015 to deliberate on the state of affairs in The Gambia.

Asserting the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which came into force in February 2012, to which The Gambia is a signatory, obligating it to adopt the broader principles of popular participation, democracy, and good governance as enshrined in: Article 3- respect human rights and democratic principles; promotion of a system of government that is representative; hold regular, transparent free and fair elections; effective participation of citizens in democratic and development processes and in governance of public affairs; strengthening political pluralism and recognizing the role, rights and responsibilities of legally constituted political parties, including opposition political parties, which should be given status under national law; Article 11-promoting the culture of democracy and peace;

Recalling that the Democracy Charter further makes for specific provisions under Article 17 – Democratic Elections, which compels AU member states, to which The Gambia belongs: establish and strengthen independence and impartial national electoral bodies; establish and strengthen national mechanisms that redress election-related disputes in a timely manner; Ensure fair and equitable access by contesting parties and candidates to state controlled media during elections;

Concerned by the rapid, systematic and deliberate policy by The Gambia Government, over the past two decades to close civic space, discourage popular participation, and curtail media freedoms;

Further concerned by State capture of the National Assembly; the blurring of the lines of separation of powers; the continued disregard for the 1997 Constitution; and passage of laws that contradict regional and continental normative standards and frameworks as well as illegal laws which violate or contradict the national constitution;

Shocked by the rapid and continued deterioration of rule of law and erosion of human rights, as documented by Human Rights Watch and the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Mr. Juan Mendez;

Alarmed at the abuse of executive power in The Gambia as evidenced by recent events, which have been widely documented, indicating that the country is fast sliding towards economic and political chaos, where impunity and terror are now firmly entrenched;

Disturbed by the recently passed Elections Amendment Act of 2015;

Condemn the action taken by the National Assembly to pass the Elections Amendment Act 2015, and President Jammeh for appending his signature on the Bill;

Emphasizing that the Elections Amendment Act 2015 contradicts section 25 (1)(e) of the Constitution- which states that  people have the right to –  freedom of association, which shall include freedom to form and join associations and unions, including political parties and trade unions;

Cognizant that the Elections Amendment Act 2015 prices out political opposition, making The Gambia the most expensive country to vie for public office, in the process curtailing the rights of citizens provided for in the constitution for full participation and representation;

Fully Cognizant that through the Elections Amendment Act 2015, the executive has demonstrated its determination to continue to stifle freedom and peoples’ right to popular participation, prodding The Gambia, and by extension, Senegal, towards a precipice;

Aware that on 24th November, 2011 the regional body, ECOWAS, refused to observe the elections stating that it was conducted: ‘in an atmosphere of “intimidation, an unacceptable level of control of the electronic media by the party in power, the lack of neutrality of state and parastatal institutions, and an opposition and electorate cowed by repression and intimidation,”

Fully aware that ECOWAS also stated that conditions on the ground, in The Gambia in 2011, would not ensure a level playing field;

Appraised of the “12 DEMANDS FOR ELECTORAL, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS” document by Gambian political opposition parties;

Call upon the Gambia Government to engage in urgent dialogue with political opposition on the “12 Demands for electoral Constitutional reforms”;

Call upon the international donor community not to fund the 2016 presidential elections, and the 2017 National Assembly elections unless the following minimum criteria are met:

ü  Commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission, whose tenures have expired are relieved from their posts, and new Commissioners are hired – the current Chairperson of the Electoral Commissions is currently illegally occupying the position as head of the Independent Electoral Commission;

ü  Integrity that meets international standards is infused into the voter registration process;

ü  All political parties are given equal access to public media;

ü  Abuse of state resources by the ruling APRC party under the leadership of President  Jammeh is halted, and mechanisms put in place to monitor such violations before, during and after the election period;

ü  An amendment to the law compelling the Independent Electoral Commission to issue permits for political rallies  in a fair and expeditious manner must be passed;

ü  The Inspector General of Police should be stripped of the responsibility of issuing permits for public gatherings and campaigns;

ü  The Gambian constitution should be amended to remove the 65 year age limit for presidential candidates;

ü  The state must cease the intimidation and harassment of the opposition parties and their supporters;

Call upon ECOWAS and the African Union to withhold funding assistance and not to observe the 2016 Presidential and 2017 National Assembly elections if the above minimum criteria are not met;

Done on 20 October, 2015

Signed

Campaign for Human Rights Gambia UK (CHRG-UK)

Civil Society Association Gambia (CSAG)

Coalition for Change Gambia (CCG)

Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA)

Gambia Consultative Council (GCC)

Gambia Democracy Action Group (GDAG)

Save the Gambia Democracy Project (STGDP)

Security sources have confirmed to Faturadio that the Imam of Kanifing South Mosque, Imam Alhagi Ousman Sawaneh has been transferred to the Janjanbureh Prison in The Central River Region. Held for our over a week now, Imam Sawaneh was picked up by operatives of The National Intelligence Agency on the pretext that he was urgently needed in Banjul. At the time of his arrest according to Foroyaa Newspaper, he was leading a team of volunteers that was clearing the grass in the Kanifing South Cemetery.

Security sources have also hinted that the Imam is being investigated on allegations that he does not support the ruling APRC and that he was among those who undermined the APRC candidate during a by-election in the Central River region (CRR) of the Gambia. Different people who spoke to Faturadio believe that the allegations do not make sense as the Imam is not involved in politics or any political activity.

Now that Imam Sawaneh is moved to Janjanbureh, his situation is being closely monitored before another disappearance without trace story is reported. Some other prominent people in his capacity who were arrested in the Gambia in similar circumstances are still unaccounted for. The government has repeated denied that it is holding them eventhough every evidence showed that they were arrested by state security agents. Imam Sawaneh’s case has now been officially reported to all international organizations to ensure that they continue to monitor his situation and to press for his release from illegal state custody.

The Judiciary of The Gambia is reported to have been hit by lack of Judges and Magistrates, a problem that caused the continuous adjournment of several cases including those of people who are still kept in remand at the country’s notorious and ill-maintained Mile 2 Prison. A source indicated that for almost four months, the superior courts have not been sitting regularly and the reasons advance was because the judiciary was in summer vacation. However, since the vacation officially ended at the end of September, there has not been much cases heard at the high court as there are currently only two Judges at the criminal division of the high court, Justice Martin U Okoi and Muhammed Dan Azumi Balarabe.

The problem is aggravated by the decision of two prominent Nigerian Judges not to renew their contracts with government at the end of their terms. Justice Emmanuel Amadi and Justice Joseph Ikpala had since left the country after a farewell ceremony was organized for them on the 6^th of October, 2015. The current Chief Justice of The Gambia Emmanuel Fagbenle, again another Nigerian national was quoted to have said in his farewell speech to the former judges that “they would have loved to keep both Amadi and Ikpala, as they upheld the law and were also competent”.

One unhidden fact is that the Gambia judiciary is a typical mockery of principles of justice including fairness and independence. Since the advent of dictator Yaya Jammeh’s government, Gambian judiciary have seen a serious interference by the Executive in the business of the dispensation of justice. The President has enormous unchecked powers to unceremoniously sack even the Chief Justice.

An action seen by many as a means to wield power and ensure every judge or chief justice dances to the tune of the President instead of dispensing justice. The last Chief Justice to serve The Gambia, Pakistani born Ali Chowan in an interview after his return to Pakistan following his disagreement with Gambia government confirmed huge interference of the tyrannical President in the dispensation of Justice, which resulted to him quitting as he “could not work in such an environment”.

FatuRadio has confirmed that many qualified Gambians have refused to take up appointment as Judges due to the lack of job security and the huge interference of the President and his executive in the cases considered “political”.

A similar situation is reported in the Lower Courts which are also currently experiencing lack of Magistrates as many young magistrates have resigned and taken up appointments with private sectors such as Banks and other corporate institutions.

Meanwhile, sources have informed FatuRadio that Chief Justice Fagbenle has travelled out of Gambia in search of Judges and Magistrates. The fear is however, most of the people he will be bringing will be machinery dispenser of justice who are only interested in what they pocket and how long they stay in those positions as a result of satisfying the wishes of Jammeh’s government to use the courts to punish Gambians who are perceived as enemies or threat to the government.