Micheal Scales Assures Halifa Sallah Supporters

Dear Mr. Editor,

 Here we go again?  My e/mail and phone have been clogged over my mention of Halifa Sallah and the rebuke from Samba Baldeh. What the majority are asking is why should I appear disrespectful to Mr.Sallah, when for the last three years I have speaking of him only in the highest and most considerate terms? This is, as we British would say..."A storm in a tea cup" But also as we say..."every cloud has a silver lining"

 I must admit to my own arrogance and intransigence, when reading Mr. Sallah's repost to Editor Mbai's  written words, predominantly in connection to the NADD editorial.

 For I travelled to about the third paragraph Of Mr. Sallahs elongated explanation, then I lost interest and down scrolled to the final paragraph to see if there was any message apart from him asking for an apology from Mr.Mbai. Of course Mr. Mbai offered the apology, and some little praise and respect to Mr. Sallah, but quite rightly expressed the view of impartiality towards political parties.

 My response also exposes my own deep prejudice which hitherto through all my years in commerce, I may have been deluding myself as to its very existence and been in self denial that I was capable of being human in this respect.

 For if I were invited to attend one of Mr. Sallah's book launch's or his speech's on Panafricanism.....and he were to speak as his printed words on here suggest. The likelihood is after 3 hours of concentration, I would probably give Mr. Sallah my support, not based on approval..but shear boredom. Hence I present my explanation for my apparent disappointment.

 However, I was wrong..for it is myself that is at fault here and not Halifa Sallah and I appologise unreservedly to Mr Sallah for my frustration.

 As a now retired Chairman of an award winning engineering company, I am only too well aware that each piece of technological equipment comes with not only an instruction manual, but also a technical manual. Whether you turn the key or press the button, some little Japanese or German person...has to sit for endless hours piecing together the contents of these manuals, so that someone knows what to do, if it goes wrong.

 What Mr.Sallah was attempting to do in his response to Mbai, was to explain the inner construction of NADD and his perception as to its value and worth. It is good that someone claims to know....for the rest of us here, remain very confused.

 The first thing to acknowledge is that after 3 successive General Elections, there are no more than five or so opposition MP's in the National Assembly.

 The second thing to acknowledge is that Mbarodi...himself has declared that the opposition is dead in the water and that President Jammeh will win the 2011 Election by a landslide.

 My understanding of the aim of NADD is as follows; {correct me if I am wrong}

 For the sake of arguments sake and to try to simplify, for all us mere single brain cell beings. If X is the APRC and A,B,C and D represent all the other parties.

Mr. Sallah suggests that to oust party X the candidates for A,B,C and D would withdraw the weakest candidates of the opposition parties leaving the strongest supported standing and encourage all the other opposition supporters to support the one remain opposition candidate.

 Mr.Sallah gives examples of how this form of tactical voting would see the opposition candidate win the poll in that ward. This is a theory from the mind of a gifted theologian.

However, the weakness of this theory in practice is that If A stands and B, C and D stand down. Would the voters vote for a Party that is not of their natural choice? Would they abstain on principal?

Is the electorate practice enough to understand the merits of this theory? I would suggest..that this theory sounds great in its perception, but in practice would fail miserably. However let’s assume that it would succeed. Moving on to Mr. Sallah's ballot principal for the selection of a President.

 Under normal democratic Principals, the UDP being the strongest opposition party with the most individual votes, would by such principal expect the leader of that Party, Mr.Darboe would automatically become President.

However, Mr.Bah, OJ, and Mai Fatty and of course Mr. Sallah, would form a coalition government and would have to take only supporting roles in that government.

That is of course unless there is a common agreement between the leaders of the A,B,C and D parties to conclude a ballot based upon the combined membership. As Mr. Darboe would have the majority of voters....it is likely that he again would win the Presidency on the majority will of this secondary process.

The third scenario could be thus. That there would be a national referendum to select a President. I would suggest the majority of APRC ticket holders included in this ballot would then choose Mr. Sallah...and by the majority verdict of the people...he would become the people’s choice for President.

 My own opinion for what it’s worth...and I respect Mr.Baldeh's view that I should mind my own business....is that NADD will never work ...not in a thousand years.

As it stands..Fatou Jaw Manneh {if she were to stand} would have the best possible chance of becoming the next President of The Gambia.

For the electorate and especially the powerful women’s vote in The Gambia would have a natural rallying point, giving the galloping momentum necessary to gain the majority ground and the necessary majority vote.

 I trust this satisfies all concerned  contacts and explains in full my views, for better or worse. Please correct my opinion if I am wrong. As Mr. Baldeh says..Debate is good.

    I remain Michael U.K.