Ebrima, i want to tell your secret informer that Yahya and his men cannot
rig voting and counting process in The gambia due to the high level of
transparency and constant surveillance mounted by all the political parties
involve.
The military junta really tried to cheat using the methods used by the
defunct PPP and NCP but all the "Tapaley" doors were closed by PIEC before
the election took place. The PIEC conducted a study of how the former regime
carefully arranged their dishonesty to victory in opposition strong hold
areas and came up with very good solutions.
Here are some of the election frauds during the PPP regime and what PIEC's
deterrent measures were.
1. Double or more voting by an individual within and/or another
constituency. This was common in the Kombos and Greater Banjul Area where
transportation is easy and not everybody know each other. So one can vote
for OJ in all the polling stations in Bundum and travel to Pirang, Kombo
East, and vote for Lamin Kitty Jabang without being detected. PIEC --- put
Indelible ink on everybody's tomb after voting
2. Double registration in different constituencies: Common areas- Banjul and
the Badibus, Serrekunda and the Fonis, Brikama and the Kiangs. PIEC :
Control registration and use of indelible ink
3. Suppress supplementary Registration in opposition strong hold areas and
secretly register families of PPP militants, Saffelo, Alkalo and top civil
servants. Common places: Anywhere the opposition poses threat. PIEC - There
was no supplementary registration before last presidential election
4. Meddle with the manual voter register: PIEC- Computerised Head Register
controlled by United Nations contract staff.
5. Buying votes from poor opposition families. PIEC- No control
6. Registration of aliens. Common in Serrekunda, Banjul, Western Division
and the Fulladus(both East and West). PIEC- The registration officials
contracted by the PIEC were very competent, honest, brave and responsible
young men and women. They strictly work according to the ethics of their
duty and refused to register anybody who did not have proper paper works and
the approval of the elders. The following people were not issued with
voter's card at the registration grounds: Sankung Badjie Inspector General
of Police, Yankuba Touray Minister for Youth and Sports(both were latter
issued after the intervention of Gibriel Robert), some close family members
of President Jammeh were not registered when they refused to comply with
PIEC regulations. Two senior PIEC officials at that center were later
arrested and detained at Kanlagi Police Station.The former minister Kabba
Bajo, Tominic Mendy and many senior army officers were denied the usual
preferential treatment at registration centers and they had to joined a big
line inorder to be registered. One senior registration officer almost
exchange blows with Major Bojang in Niamina when he attempted to disrupt the
registration process . So these boys were really great!
7. Bribe registration and election duty officers. PIEC-- paid officers very
well. The lowest salary rate was D95.OO a day
As you can see, most of the cheatings were done before election and counting
of votes.
WHAT LED TO YAHYA'S VICTORY
Yahya Jammeh and his political adversers after knowing that they cannot
twist the hands of PIEC officials, resorted to the following strategy to win
votes:
1. Controlled both private and public media. UDP had no media coverage
throughout their campaign. Radio Syd started to cover some political rallies
for all political parties but they were forced to stop it immediately.
2. Tribalism: When Yahya was fully in control of all national media
networks, some prominent Mandinkas among his national campaign team,
denounced their own ethnic group as selfish and tribalist people over Radio
Gambia. This really boost Yahya's image among the Fulas and some wollof
voters because Darboe has no access to the radio to refute these
allegations. In fact before official campaign begins, i went on an official
tour of over 104 villages in CRD and over 90% of voters(except the
Saloums)were supporting Darboe. But the negative tribal comments by the APRC
Mandinka Jon-o-lo attributes to Darboe's awful defeat among minority tribes.
3. Intimidation. This was a very successful tool used by Jammeh. All civil
servants of all categories were intimidated by government to vote for APRC.
In Janjanbureh, Major Bojang convened a meeting in his office with all the
heads of departments in CRD and threaten to fire anybody who supports
Darboe. He held similar meetings with all the Alkalis and saffello(NO
WONDER HE IS REINSTATED). Guess what this brought to Jammeh considering the
extended family system in The Gambia and dependency level of the poor and
the unemployed to these civil servants and traditional rulers.
Ebrima, the blunt fact is that the Mandinkas(except Jarra and Kiang) who
were actually describe as tribalist were the very people who voted Jammeh to
power. Can you believe Darboe lost in Bansang Town, Sami District, Brufut,
Pirang, etc?
What UDP should fight now is a free and fair campaign--- equal media access
by all political parties, no intimidation on civilians, Commissioners,
Chiefs, Alikalolo and top civil servants be neutral and Ousanou should
deploy the same die hard polling and counting agents like the Bakau women in
all polling and counting centers.
I will end this paper with TWO rational questions: If the votes were rigged,
why nobody sue PIEC? Please give an example of at least one polling and
counting center where voting was rigged.
In my next article, i will briefly describe the voting and counting process
of the last presidential election.
Its too late here, have a wonderful day.
Cheers
Lamin PF Manneh
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