Gambians to go to polls in 4th qtr of 2011 as new Election House is inaugurated

The chairman of the Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission, Alhajie Mustapha Carayol has announced that plans are in top gear to hold the presidential elections in the last quarter (between October and December) of 2011. The IEC chairman was speaking last week at the inauguration of the newly constructed Election House on Bertil Harding Highway, Kanifing.

According to Alhajie Carayol, the electoral commission has drawn up a budgeted programme that would see to the conduct of a general digital registration of voters in the first quarter of 2011. Gambians would vote in presidential elections in the last quarter of 2011 while the first quarter of 2012 will witness the conduct of the National Assembly elections. Local government elections are scheduled for early 2013.

While describing the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission in The Gambia as a great leap forward, the IEC chairman noted that the evolution of the electoral umpire from being an arm of the government overseen by a minister to an independent body.

Carayol said the old form of conducting elections encouraged the perpetuation of official positions, as well as the expediency of ensuring that the President, on whom appointments depended, was re-elected into office. “This situation was even more compounded by the fact that the ministers themselves sought election in the same general election they were organizing,” he said.

However, the advent of the Second Republic heralded the birth of the Provisional Independent Electoral Commission, charged with the administration of elections, registration of voters and the demarcation of electoral boundaries, among other things. He said the then PIEC fitted harmoniously in a democratic transition which has been acknowledged did not raise any serious challenges and the Gambian politicians all seem to have acknowledged it.

The regulatory framework for the conduct of elections during the transition period was provided by the Decree (No. 62), the Provisional Independent Electoral Commission Decree, the Elections Decree (No. 78) and the Political Activities Resumption Decree (No. 89). The Commission in exercising its powers under Sections (93), (127) and (134) of the Elections Decree issued a number of regulations that formed an integral part of the regulatory framework. These were the Referendum Regulations 1996, The Media Rules 1996 as amended, the Code on Election Campaign Ethics, the Qualification and Disqualification The Regulations, Rules for Observers and the Rules for Journalist.

“Organizing free and fair multi-party elections is an expensive activity. The government of The Gambia has always provided the IEC with the needed resources to conduct its activities.”

He also noted that international assistance to the electoral process during the transition period was a decisive contribution to The Gambia’s return to democracy. It helped to lay important foundation stones for the continued building of the Gambian democratic edifice.

In the case of technical implementation, he said capacity was provided in support of the Commission’s effort in delivering quality elections to the Gambian people. The work of the international technical assistance team also prepared the ground for the subsequent elections through the building of local capacity in this very important area, he said.

“International assistance to the IEC in the conduct of elections came in many forms such as expertise and materials. Prior to the creation of the IEC, the government had reached an agreement with international agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) European Union (EU) and the Department for Development Support and Management Services (DDSMS) on the formulation of an umbrella project to channel support to the electoral process.”

The IEC boss further informed the gathering that The Government of The Gambia in meeting its obligation towards enhancing the electoral processes has thus allocated a piece of land to the Commission and further provided the necessary financial resources which resulted to the building of the new office complex referred to as The Election House.

“The total cost of this complex is D12,216,555.17 (Twelve Million, Two Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Dalasi, Seventeen Bututs) whilst D 2,500,000 (Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dalasis) was spent on the Banjul Regional Office.

Declaring the Election House open, the vice president, Aja Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy who represented President Jammeh noted that the ceremony was another milestone in the socio-political development of this country. “This magnificent edifice before us all will become the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission,” she said.

She also applauded the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for their endeavor and contribution towards the national development of the country. 

The vice president noted that the Election House reflects the desire of the government to ensure that a more conducive environment necessary to support the work of the IEC is provided.

She further assured that in the not-too-distant future, six IEC regional offices would be built in addition to the one that is already completed in Banjul and would be inaugurated as part of events marking the July 22nd celebrations.

She noted that the vision of President Jammeh for the country has always been establishing a socially stable and economically prosperous society, guided by a clear vision to establish also a system of government that is based on the consent of the citizenry.

“Since its establishment in 1996, the IEC has already successfully conducted two national presidential and parliamentary elections, in addition to other sub-national elections. These are no mean achievements indeed given the enormous challenges that any successfully conducted elections has to encounter.

“The government would continue to assist the IEC in further enhancing its work in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. We will do this because holding elections are not an end in themselves, but a means to achieving a stable, peace and prosperous society, the assurances of which rest primarily in the hands of the government. But the task is such that government alone cannot do it all.”

She also called on all political parties to be seen to be actively associated with any assistance to the IEC. “In view of the fact that Elections are expensive, the need for the fullest participation of all stakeholders, including donor agencies and development partners, cannot be over-emphasized,” she said.

“I therefore wish to urge that this magnificent facility be subject to regular or routine maintenance. Unless this is done, it would be meaningless to have ventured into this project in the first place.”

 

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