Chief Electoral
Officer
IEC

GRTS  VIOLATES ELECTIONS DECREE

I wish to convey to the commission through you  that the GRTS had 
deliberately decided to violate section 93 (1)  of the  election decree which states that 
“the commission shall, during an election  campaign period, ensure that equal 
air time is given to each candidate and   national party on the public radio 
and television” For your information the GRTS  decided to broadcast a 
statement made by Buba Sanyang while he was in custody at  the NIA headquaters 
indicating that he was given nomination forms to fill but  that he had impersonated 
IEC  personnel to obtain the signatories of some  of the people. It is not my 
concern whether such confession was obtained under  duress or not.  This is for 
the courts to determine.  What is of  concern to me is the GRTS Radio is 
reporting as news that I have asked Buba  Sanyang to obtain the signatories by 
impersonating I.E.C personnel. I have been  duly nominated with over 6000 people 
subscribing to my nomination. The GRTS  report is giving the impression that 
my nomination is invalid.  Many of my  supporters are calling to find out 
whether my nomination is still valid.   This conforms that the TV and Radio 
broadcast is calculated to sow the seed of  uncertainly among the voters.

This is buttressed by the fact that  the GRTS failed to send reporters to 
cover a press conference I held to clarify  matters on 20th August 2006 after 
their broadcast.  They repeated their  20th August broadcast on Buba Sanyang on 
21st August 2006 but suppressed the  broadcasting of my 20th August 2006 
broadcast in which I tried to clarify the  issue.

The matter was reported to Mr. Joe Colley but nothing was  done until the end 
of the campaign period.  What is repugnant is that the  Radio broadcast on 
the Buba Sanyang still on and is likely to feature in the 1pm  news, a day 
before the election.

In this light I will like the  Commission to act with immediacy to issue a 
press release indicating that my  nomination as a candidate has not been 
invalidated, that I have reported that my  10 minutes air time have been suppressed 
to your disapproval and to call on all  media houses including the state media 
to desist from any news item that could  be prejudicial to any candidate.  It 
is your duty to get the GRTS to  interview me and broadcast my opinion on the 
issue in the interest of natural  justice and fairness.

While anticipating your maximum  cooperation.

I remain

Yours in the service of the  nation.
……………………………..
Hon Halifa Sallah 
NADD Presidential  candidate  
Cc: Commonwealth Observer Team
WACSOF
Pan African  Election Expert
GRTS
Media Houses      

����������������������������������������������������������
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
����������������������������������������������������������