Nawec in Hot Soup, Accused of Conspiracy to Rig Votes


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The Independent (Banjul)

October 10, 2005
Posted to the web October 11, 2005

Lamin M. Fatty & Fatou Sanyang
Banjul

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) have been strongly criticised for what is been described as 'attempted vote rigging' in the recently held by-election in Serrekunda Central where opposition candidate Halifa Sallah won.

The company was suspected of trying to engage in election malpractice at a time when counting of ballots from the constituency was in progress at the IEC regional office in Kanifing. Independent observers and members of the opposition described the stitching off of the lights as 'deliberate and an attempt to rig the election.' "They definitely know that vote counting is presently in progress at the IEC regional office in Kanifing, why should they switched off this area," an election observer was heard saying.
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So these are their new tactics. They also want to involved in election fraud," an opposition NADD supporter who was present at the centre at the time of the counting said.

The lights were switched off at the time when a bitter argument ensued between the two parties concerning a missing ballot token at polling station B26 in Bundung Bantaba.

Despite defending the switching off of the lights as not intentional but due to technical faults, opposition supporters described the move as 'nonsense'.
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According to the technicians who were deploy in the area to rectify the situation, the sudden blackout came as a result of a technical failure with the transformer. "It was the fuse of the transformer that has blown off," a member of the team said. "It was not our intention. These are machines and they are liable to have fault at any time."

The power cut that last for about fifteen minutes sparked a bitter argument whether to continue or cease counting until electricity supply resume. "NAWEC should be very vigilant in natures like this. They should always be prepared to avoid switching off light particularly in election period," an election observer said.




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