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Breaking News:IEC Says Undocumented Voters Can Vote Elections Day-Concerned Gambians Protest on GRTS TV Talk Show!!!
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Breaking News:IEC Says Undocumented Voters Can Vote Elections Day-Concerned Gambians Protest on GRTS TV Talk Show!!!
 Breaking News:IEC Says Undocumented Voters Can Vote Elections Day-Concerned Gambians Protest on GRTS TV Talk Show!!!
Commonwealth
Election Observer Chief Dr.Salim Says The Gambian Elections Should
Reflects The Wishes and Aspirations Of Gambians To Render It Credible...
A Concerned Voter Accuses The Gov't Of Provoking National Uprising!
By Our Roving Election Reporter
A
team of Independent Electoral Commission officials and some Civic
Education panelists last night came with a disturbing revelation on
GRTS TV that all those whose names did not appear on the IEC main
electoral register can vote come election day. In a highly charged TV
talk show callers upon callers voice their total opposition against
such a voter fraud which could undermine the outcome of the electoral
process. But IEC panelists insist that the High Court had issued a
ruling that anybody with a voters cards can vote even though he or
she's name was not in the main register. Many callers urged the IEC to
reverse such a decision, but the IEC maintains that their hands were
tied, as they were duty bound to execute the decision of the court come
what may.
  
IEC Chairman Kofi Annan Dr.Salim
Last night's TV talk show was characterized by
heated argument. Many callers believed that the IEC announcement would
paved a way for a major voter fraud as some of the recently registered
non Gambians from the Southern province of Casamance can now vote
without being confronted by any polling agent assigned to monitor the
elections. A caller accuses the IEC of trying to rig the elections in
advance by making an open invitation to the guest voters to vote come
polling day.
As the situation appears, many Gambians and
election observers were taken aback by this latest developments. If the
IEC announcement is to go by then the 50,000 guest voters currently
hosted at the Gambia High school, The Gambia College, Brikama School,
the President Award Scheme hostel, Bakoteh school, Brufut school and
other private homes can vote without having the fear of being accosted
by opposition polling agents.
A concerned Gambian who spoke to
the Freedom Newspaper after the show warns that the latest developments
might render the elections to be declared not free and fair. The
concerned Gambian says he was worried about possible violence
elections day as people might likely not accommodate the court's move
to allow the undocumented voters to vote. "I'm very afraid about the
future of this country. The government is creating all the conditions
for uprising as people might likely protest against any voter
irregularities. In the interest of peace, the IEC should bar these
undocumented voters not to vote. Such a move would go a long way in bringing
confidence into the battered electoral process." said the concerned Gambian.
The
Commonwealth has dispatched a team of election monitors headed by
Dr.Salim Ahmed Salim former Prime Minister of Tanzania and also the
former secretary general of OAU. At a news conference
yesterday,Dr.Salim says his delegation were mandated to monitor the
freeness and fairness of the Gambian elections. The Commonwealth envoy
says they will consider the credibility of the elections and issue a
report without fear or favor. Dr.Salim told news men that their main
task was to determine whether the conditions for free and fair
elections exist. He added that they were also tasked with the responsibility of estabilishing whether the outcome of the polls represents the
wishes and aspirations of Gambians.
Dr.Salim says during their
stay in the country, they were supposed to meet with political leaders
and the NGO community. He says part of their their mission was also to ensure that the
electoral process was monitored and come out with a report at the end
of the polling. An interim report he says, was to be issued after the polls, but adds that the main report would be handed over to the Commonwealth Secretary General.
Some local observers who spoke to our reporter
say they were concerned over the lack of accountability in respect to the
issue of voters documentation One of the observers say the mere fact that
the government was bent on allowing undocumented voters to vote might
render the elections to be fraudulent. The observer also lamented about
the state monopoly of the public media and the way journalists were
being treated ahead of the elections. The observer says he will include
all the said facts and evidence gathered in his report to the relevant
authorities to ensure that justice prevails at the end of the day. The observer says he intends to make his report available to the outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other Western powers. He says the voter malpractices documented so far were unspeakable. Gambians are scheduled to go to the polls this coming Friday.
Meanwhile, the Dr.Salim has issued a statement about his presence in the Gambia to monitor the polls. Below is the full text of the statement. Please read on....
...........................................................................
NEWS RELEASE
ARRIVAL STATEMENT BY DR SALIM AHMED SALIM,
CHAIRPERSON OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OBSERVER GROUP
The Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of The
Gambia invited the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the Rt
Hon Don McKinnon to send a group to observe the Presidential Election
to be held in The Gambia on 22 September 2006.
After receiving the invitation, the Secretary-General sent an
Assessment Mission from 17 to 24 August 2006. The Assessment
Mission met with the IEC, representatives of the main political parties,
non governmental-organisations and other interested parties. Their
mandate was to establish whether there was broad support for the
presence of Commonwealth Observers during the election period, and
to obtain guarantees from the IEC that they would have freedom of
movement and access to polling stations and counting centres. They
were also to obtain confirmation that they were free to pursue their
mandate.
The Mission concluded that there would be broad support for the
presence of Commonwealth Observers.
Following the report of the Assessment Mission, the Secretary-General
sent an advance group of observers which has just concluded an
extensive tour of The Gambia. The advance group had the opportunity
of meeting people throughout the country including representatives of
the political parties, the police, and electoral officials.
All the members of the Observer Group have now assembled in The
Gambia. I have the honour and privilege to chair this Group of eminent
Commonwealth citizens which consists of:
Hon Akua Dansua MP
Member of Parliament
Ghana
Ms Daphne de Klerk
Former Co-ordinator
Non-Governmental Organisations
Forum (NANGOF)
Namibia
Mrs Priscilla Kare
Head
YWCA
Papua New Guinea
Mr Jeremiah M. Matagaro
Commissioner
Electoral Commission of Kenya
(ECK)
Kenya
Ms Hajra Mungula
Steering Committee Member
Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC)
Tanzania
Hon Dr Eastlyn McKenzie MP
Independent Senator
Trinidad and Tobago
Ms Marie Neilson
Australian Electoral Officer &
State Manager for Tasmania
Australian Electoral Commission
Australia
Mr P.M. Siriwardhane
Deputy Commissioner
Department of Elections
Sri Lanka
Mr Eli Turk
Chairman of the Board
Human Rights Internet (HRI)
Canada
The Observers have been invited in their individual capacities and the
views they express regarding the elections will be their own and not
those either of their respective governments or of the Commonwealth
Secretariat. The Group will act in an impartial manner and will abide
by the laws of The Gambia.
The group is assisted by a Commonwealth Support Team led by
Professor Ade Adefuye, Head of the Africa Section, Political Affairs
Division. The other members of the team are: Mr Linford Andrews, Mr
Jarvis Matiya, Mr Julius Mucunguzi and Ms Saiqa Awan.
We are all pleased to be in The Gambia for the Presidential Election.
The Commonwealth’s engagement with The Gambia has been a longstanding
one. A Commonwealth Observer Group was present for the
last Presidential Election in October 2001. Since then, the
Commonwealth has continuously engaged The Gambian stakeholders
in the effort to promote and strengthen democracy.
We have been mandated to observe relevant aspects of the
organisation and conduct of the elections. We will consider all the
factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole.
Our two key tasks are to determine, in our judgment, whether the
conditions exist for a free expression of will by the electors, and if the
results of the elections reflect the wishes of the people.
We have met with the IEC to be briefed on the arrangements for the
election. We have also met with a cross section of various NGOs and
domestic observers. We will later today meet representatives of
political parties, international observers and members of the
diplomatic corps.
On Wednesday, we will deploy around the country. After we have
witnessed the end of the campaign, the election day, the count and as
much of the result process as we can see, we will re-assemble in
Banjul to compile our report which we will complete and sign here,
prior to our departure on 29 September 2006.
Our report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General,
who will in turn forward it to the Government of The Gambia, the IEC,
the political parties participating in the election and then to all
Commonwealth Governments. The Report will subsequently be made
publicly available both here in The Gambia and throughout the
Commonwealth, in printed form and on the website of the
Commonwealth Secretariat.
The Kairaba Hotel
Kololi
18 September 2006
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Posted on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 (Archive on Sunday, October 29, 2006)
Posted by PNMBAI Contributed by PNMBAI
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