US embassy cable - 01BANJUL892

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000892 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, PREL, PINR, GA 
SUBJECT:  GAMBIAN ELECTION FALLOUT: ADMIRATION TURNS TO 
ACCUSATION 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  A WAVE OF CRITICISM HAS REPLACED THE 
POSITIVE COMMENTARY HEARD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OCTOBER 
18 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  THE UPC COALITION AND HUMAN 
RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ALLEGE WIDESPREAD HARASSMENT AND 
UNREASONABLE ARRESTS SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 
OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS AND CALL ELECTION AUTHORITIES 
INEFFICIENT AND CORRUPT.  OTHER OPPOSITION PARTY 
MEMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN TARGETED AS OF YET.  END SUMMARY. 
 
UPC COALITION ACCUSES APRC OF HARASSMENT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) WIDESPREAD AND FAIRLY CREDIBLE REPORTS INDICATE 
THAT UPC SUPPORTERS AND THEIR HOMES HAVE BEEN ATTACKED 
SINCE THE FINAL ELECTION RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED FRIDAY. 
UNIFORMED POLICE AND ARMY HAVE ALLEGEDLY ARRESTED OVER 
SIXTY KNOWN OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS AND TAKEN THEM TO 
POLICE STATIONS OR THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 
(NIA) HEADQUARTERS.  IN ADDITION, CIVILIAN MEMBERS OF 
THE APRC, ALSO RUMORED TO BE MEMBERS OF THE RATHER MORE 
SINISTER JULY 22 MOVEMENT, HAVE REPORTEDLY ASSAULTED 
OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS. 
 
3. (U) SPECIFICALLY, UPC OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED THAT APRC 
MILITANTS ATTACKED THE HOMES OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE: 
UDP ORGANIZING SECRETARY LAMIN WAA JUWARA, UDP 
COALITION CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FOR WESTERN DIVISION 
ALHAJI DEMBO JATTA, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER DEMBO 
BOJANG, AND OMAR JALLOW (OJ). 
 
4. (U) WELL-KNOWN DETAINEES INCLUDE DR. MOMODOU LAMIN 
MANNEH, AN OPPOSITION SUPPORTER WHO RETURNED TO THE 
GAMBIA TO CAMPAIGN AFTER BEING GRANTED ASYLUM IN THE 
U.S., CITIZEN FM RADIO DIRECTOR GEORGE CHRISTENSEN AND 
MUHAMMED LAMIN SILLAH, COORDINATOR OF THE COALITION OF 
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND SECRETARY GENERAL OF AMNESTY 
INTERNATIONAL'S GAMBIA CHAPTER.  THE THIRTEEN-YEAR OLD 
BROTHER OF ONE OF POST'S SECURITY LES STAFF WAS ALSO 
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT THE NIA DURING THE POLITICAL 
CLASHES IN TALLINDING ON OCTOBER 16.  AS OF OCTOBER 24, 
HE HAD NOT BEEN RELEASED AND HIS FAMILY HAD NOT BEEN 
ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM.  POST WILL TRANSMIT AN 
ADDITIONAL LIST OF DETAINEE NAMES SEPTEL. 
 
5. (U) ACCORDING TO UDP COALITION PARTY LEADERS, THEY 
HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE 
INTERIOR, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, AND APRC 
PARTY LEADERS, TO NO AVAIL.  THEY WOULD LIKE THE 
GOVERNMENT OR THE APRC TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT ON 
RADIO OR TELEVISION CONDEMNING HARASSMENT OF OPPOSITION 
SUPPORTERS AND DIRECTING ALL APRC `MILITANTS' TO 
EXERCISE RESTRAINT UNDER THREAT OF PUNISHMENT.  THE 
COALITION PARTY LEADERS STATE THEY HAVE RECEIVED NO 
RESPONSE TO THEIR REQUEST. 
 
6. (U) COALITION LEADERS REPORT THAT THEIR MEMBERS ARE 
GETTING RESTLESS AND FRUSTRATED, AND WITHOUT ACTION 
FROM THE APRC OR GOVERNMENT, COALITION LEADERS CANNOT 
GUARANTEE THEIR SUPPORTERS' CONTINUED CALM.  MORE 
OMINOUSLY, ONE COALITION REPRESENTATIVE SAID, "IF THE 
GOVERNMENT SECURITY FORCES CANNOT PROTECT US, WE WILL 
DEFEND OURSELVES." 
 
UDP COALITION CRITICIZES IEC ELECTION MANAGEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
7. (U) THE UDP COALITION HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE 
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, TO PUBLICIZE ITS ACCUSATIONS OF 
APRC HARASSMENT, AND USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO CRITICIZE 
SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE ELECTION PROCESS, FROM 
REGISTRATION ONWARD.  ONE REPORTER ASKED THE REASONABLE 
QUESTION, "IF YOU OBJECTED TO HOW THE ELECTION WAS RUN, 
WHY DID YOU RUSH TO CONGRATULATE THE PRESIDENT AND 
ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION BEFORE ALL OF THE 
COUNTS WERE EVEN REPORTED?"  THE RESPONSE WAS A) "THE 
GAMBIA IS LARGER THAN OUSAINOU DARBOE OR THE UDP," AND 
DARBOE NEEDED TO EXERCISE LEADERSHIP AND ACCEPT THE 
RESULTS TO ENSURE PEACE AND TRANQUILITY AFTER THE 
ELECTIONS; AND B) THE COALITION BECAME AWARE OF MANY OF 
THE ALLEGED ELECTION IRREGULARITIES ONLY IN THE DAYS 
AFTER THE ELECTIONS. 
 
8. (U) COMMENT: THE POINT THAT DARBOE HAD TO ACCEPT THE 
ELECTION RESULTS TO MAINTAIN PEACE IN THE GAMBIA IS 
WELL-TAKEN; COALITION SUPPORTERS WERE ON-RECORD 
DECLARING THAT THEY WOULD `FIGHT IN THE STREETS' IF 
THEIR CANDIDATE DID NOT WIN.  HOWEVER, IF THE COALITION 
IS AS RESTLESS AND FRUSTRATED AS THEIR LEADERS 
INDICATE, PUBLICLY LAMBASTING THE GOVERNMENT, THE APRC 
AND ELECTION AUTHORITIES IS AS DANGEROUS AND 
INFLAMMATORY NOW AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON ELECTION DAY. 
END COMMENT. 
 
9. (U) THE COALITION'S STATEMENT AND PRESS RELEASE RE- 
VISITED THE CONTROVERSIAL PROBLEM OF VOTERS WHO HAD 
VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS BUT WERE NOT LISTED ON THE 
COMPUTER PRINTOUT OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST. 
DARBOE LEVELED THE ACCUSATION THAT THE FINAL DECISION 
TO ALLOW SUCH VOTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTION WAS 
MADE BY INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION (IEC) CHAIR 
GABRIEL ROBERTS AT THE BEHEST OF THE APRC AND WITHOUT 
THE CONSENT OF THE REST OF THE IEC.  HE ALSO POINTED 
OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE VOTING PUBLIC HAD THE OPPORTUNITY 
TO OBJECT TO ANY NAME ON THE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST 
THAT WAS PUBLISHED BEFORE THE ELECTIONS, THEY DID NOT 
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT TO THE PEOPLE WHOSE 
NAMES WERE ADDED WHEN THEY WERE ALLOWED TO VOTE ON 
ELECTION DAY. DARBOE CHARGED THAT THE POLICY THUS 
DENIED THE VOTING PUBLIC ONE OF THE RIGHTS GUARANTEED 
UNDER THE ELECTION CODE OF CONDUCT. 
 
10. (U) IEC OFFICIAL SAID YUSUPH ADMITTED AT THE 
OPPOSITION PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE ENTIRE VOTER 
REGISTRATION PROCESS WAS CARRIED OUT HURRIEDLY IN A 
SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, LEAVING SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY 
FOR ERROR. MR. YUSUPH EXPLAINED THAT `YOUNG LADIES, 
FRESH FROM SCHOOL, WHO MAYBE DID NOT APPRECIATE THE 
IMPORTANCE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING', ENTERED THE VOTER 
REGISTRATION DATA INTO THE COMPUTER.  ACCORDING TO MR. 
YUSUPH, ALTHOUGH THE IEC FOUND ERRORS IN THE DATABASE, 
THEY DECIDED IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO DISENFRANCHISE 
VOTERS WHO HAD LEGITIMATELY COMPLETED THE REGISTRATION 
PROCESS ON THE BASIS OF DATA ENTRY ERRORS. 
 
11. (U) DARBOE FURTHER ALLEGED THAT THE ELECTORAL 
PROCESS WAS CORRUPTED FROM THE BEGINNING BY THE VOTER 
REGISTRATION PROCESS.  HE STATED THAT MANY NON-GAMBIANS 
HAD OBTAINED NATIONAL ID CARDS AND USED THEM TO 
REGISTER TO VOTE, AND THAT REGISTRATION HAD OCCURRED IN 
SECRET OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION PERIOD AT 
UNOFFICIAL PREMISES.  HE THEN PRODUCED THE SENEGALESE 
NATIONAL ID CARD AND GAMBIAN VOTER REGISTRATION CARD OF 
A MAN NAMED EBOU COLI, AND SAID IT WAS BUT ONE EXAMPLE 
OF MANY.  HE CLAIMED THE IEC HAD NOT ACTED TO CORRECT 
THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THE OPPOSITION ALERTED THE IEC 
TO THE CASE OF EBOU COLI AND MANY OTHERS BEFORE THE 
ELECTION. 
 
12. (U) COMMENT: WHILE SOME IMPERFECTIONS, 
IRREGULARITIES, AND EVEN INTENTIONAL MANIPULATION OF 
THE ELECTORAL PROCESS WERE INEVITABLE, THE NEWS OF 
ASSAULTS AND ARRESTS IS ALARMING.  THE APRC HAS WON THE 
ELECTIONS, AND PRESUMABLY HAS NO MORE NEED TO 
INTIMIDATE COALITION SUPPORTERS.  THE TARGETING OF THE 
UDP COALITION AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FOR THESE 
ASSAULTS AND ARRESTS UNDERLINES THE RETALIATORY NATURE 
OF THE APRC/GOVERNMENT ACTIONS.  THIS UNABASHED AND (SO 
FAR) UNCHECKED ABUSE OF POWER HINTS AT THE SENSE OF 
IMPUNITY FELT BY LOYALISTS UNDER THE APRC UMBRELLA. 
END COMMENT. 
 
 
TITUS