Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue

Issue No. 66/2005, 22-24 August, 2005



Editorial

IT IS PRESIDENT JAMMEH AND NOT FOROYAA WHO

DISCREDITED THE IEC

The Chairman’s Duty Is To Heal Its Image

FOROYAA respects the independence of the Independent Electoral Commission. It has always defended the integrity of the institution against the administrative assault of the executive. We are yet to gauge the performance of the present chairman and do not harbour any preconceived notion regarding his personality or professional integrity.

The institutional memory of the IEC would reveal that its independence has been systematically tampered with by the executive.

In our issue we have shown how members of the Commission have been accused of misconduct, booted out and humiliated by the executive without the establishment of a tribunal of three judges of a Superior Court to investigate allegations as required by the constitution. Secondly, section 42 of the constitution makes the IEC a “part of the public service.” Section 169 protects public servants from victimisation and discrimination, and commands that none of them should be punished without just course. Staff attrition at the IEC is among the highest because of encroachment by the executive.

Thirdly, the IEC was mandated to demarcate constituencies by section 50 of the constitution. Under the chairmanship of Rev. Tilewa Johnson, the boundaries of constituencies were drawn to eliminate the discrepancies. The government side became dissatisfied and they did everything to dismantle the work of the commission after Rev. Tilewa Johnson was unceremoniously removed.

Before doing so, the IEC continued to demonstrate its independence  by going to the Supreme Court to seek a mandate as to whether it should proceed with chieftaincy elections in Sami Constituency or not. When the Supreme Court gave the go ahead and the chieftaincy elections results in Sami went against the candidate of the government, they utilised their parliamentary majority to expunge the provisions requiring the holding of chieftaincy elections from the constitution and gave the president the absolute power to appoint and remove chiefs.

The executive did not only stop at removing Bishop Tilewa Johnson it mounted an extensive programme of constitutional amendments to erode the powers of the IEC. In 2000, it came up with a bill which was designed to dismantle the IEC. The provision was left to gather dust because of their fear that it would not receive the approval of the people at a referendum. The provision they wanted to introduce reads: ‘there shall be an Independent Electoral Commission which shall commence operation one year before each general election or such shorter period as may be preconceived by the National Assembly for either elections.”

If the constitution did not make it a requirement to hold a referendum before the IEC could be dismantled, section 42 would have been amended. Their plan to efface the IEC was aborted in 2000. Hence in 2001, the executive proceeded to amputate the powers of the IEC.

Since the putting into force of the demarcation of constituencies done by the IEC under Bishop Tilewa Johnson would have rectified the unfair demarcation done by the AFPRC, which provides Serrekunda Central with a population of …. With one MP despite having a voter population of …… while Janjanbureh with a voter population of ….. also has ….

A law was passed in 2001 to remove the power to demarcate constituencies from the IEC.

The law reads: “An Act of the National Assembly shall establish 4 boundaries commission which shall be responsible for demarcating constituency boundaries for the purpose of elections of the National Assembly.” Interestingly enough since 2001 no act has been promulgated to establish a constituency boundaries commission. The 2003 census has passed without any review of constituency boundaries.

Now, the demarcation made by the IEC is gathering dust. The government instead engaged in a politically motivated demarcation of Serrekunda and Wuli but left the rest of the country.

Finally, when the IEC registering officers started to enquire into the issue of citizenship, the regime amended the election decree to enable any five elders to certify that a person is a citizen. Furthermore, the amendment asserts that the commission should not reject the document produced. All these schemes were designed to bind the hands of the IEC to do the will of the executive. Hence it is clear that we are dealing with an executive which does not have any intention in leaving the IEC to operate in an independent atmosphere.

The recent encroachment is not yet history. This is precisely why vigilance must be exercised by all stake holders to ensure that the IEC is not intimidated and manipulated by the executive.

Foroyaa will therefore continue to exercise its oversight role without fear or favour, affection or ill-will in accordance with the dictates of good faith, truth and the public interest.





INTERVIEW WITH HALIFA SALLAH

ON THE PRESS RELEASE OF THE IEC CHAIRMAN, THE ISSUE OF BUYING VOTERS’ CARDS

Foroyaa: Have you read the press release from the Commission if so what is your reaction?

Halifa: I have read the press release. The intention of the Chairman is to defend his integrity. He has said that so far only 20 transfers and 10 replacements have taken place. What is important is to wait for the final figure after the 29th of August. We are currently monitoring two vehicles in Janjanbureh which had taken people to the office of the registering officer. What we expect the IEC to do is to publish the list of transfers for monitoring. We are not alarmed and we are not making any unsubstantiated allegations. In fact, must of the things he had said are already contained in a letter we addressed to him.

Foroyaa: Would you release it to the public?

Halifa: We did not intend to do so but since the Chairman has issued a press release it should be in the interest of the public for them to hear our side of the issue. The following letter was designed to keep the Chairman fully in touch with the realities on the ground



The Letter



22nd August, 2005.

Ref: NADD/FA/(2)/02/05



The Chairman,

IEC

Kairaba Avenue.



Re: OPINIONS ON THE TRANSFER AND REPLACEMENT OF VOTING CARDS

Your prompt reply to our letter reference No: NADD/FA/(3)/01/05 dated 16th August 2005 is conceived as an assurance that your office intends to give timely and careful consideration to the concerns of all stakeholders in electoral matters.

In this regard, the Executive Committee of NADD has mandated me to convey to you the conflicting notions and contradictory decisions that are conveyed to stakeholders by two letters emanating from your office, on the subject of transfers and replacements.

First and foremost, your memorandum IEC/64/KAC/NSZN/(19) did concur with our position that the dates for the termination of transfers and replacements of voting cards prior to an election should be gazetted for public notice and further intimated that 29th August 2005 has been targeted as the last day for effecting transfers and replacements of voting cards.

On the other hand the letter with reference No: IEC/9/SU/15 indicated to stakeholders that “In view of the fact that elections date have been gazetted therefore, all general services, in the affected areas that are not directly connected with the imminent elections have now been halted until further notice.”

The letter told the stakeholders in categorical terms “your request therefore for the IEC to grant your supporters the opportunity to replace their cards and transfer their votes cannot be approved, since an election that involves the Janjanbureh Regional Office has been presented for the gazette.”

It is therefore incontrovertible that the two letters do not speak the same language.

Infact, our letter of August 16th was engendered by the frustrations elicited by the supporters of Mr. Hamat Bah in Upper Saloum whose cards were burnt during fire incidents and who disagreed totally with the content of IEC/9/SU/15 when it was read to them by his Campaign Manager.  The people demanded clarity on the subject.

This is precisely the reason why we had to write to you to stipulate the provisions of the law which govern the termination period for replacements and transfers prior to an election.  We also acknowledge your attempt to promote equity by issuing a public notice for transfers and replacements to be effected up to 29th August 2005.  However, it is important to convey to you that the decision has raised more concerns that need objective review and judicious action.

First and foremost, the institutional memory of the IEC would reveal that before the 2002 National Assembly Elections six hundred (600) transfers of voting cards were affected to corrupt the electoral process in Upper Saloum but had to be rendered null and void by the IEC, after proper scrutiny.  Furthermore, I am to draw to your attention that during a rally organized by the APRC in Sinchu, one Alhagi Kebbeh, who is said to have deserted the NRP claimed that elections can be won by taking voters from other constituencies to register in Upper Saloum.  The allegations are seen, rightly or wrongly, as a pretext to motivate the APRC to plunge into corrupt electoral malpractices through transfer of voters.

This fear is not allayed by the fact that the list of transfers and replacements in Upper Saloum could not be made available when demanded by stakeholders even though IEC/9/SU/15 did indicate that in the month of June and July 2005 “only 10 people were transferred and only 20 voter’s cards were replaced.”

Since the figures were available, the stakeholders who demanded for the list of transfers, after the IEC officers concluded that no further transfers and replacements would be permitted, were flabbergasted that it could not be made available to them for immediate scrutiny.

The Executive Committee of NADD was therefore compelled to subject the issue of transfer and replacement of voting cads to careful analysis.

We do recognise that to acquire a voters’ card is a right.  The law has envisaged that a voter may cease to be resident in a constituency in which he/she is registered as a voter and would wish for his/her voting card to be transferred to the constituency in which he/she has become resident.  It is equally evident that a voter’s card may be lost or damaged.  This is precisely why the Section 35 (1) and Section 38 (1) of the Elections Decree make provisions for transfers and replacements of voting cards, respectively.

We notice that the laws on transfer did create safeguards to prevent corrupt ways to transfer voting cards.

Section 35 (1) restricts the right to transfer to the condition where a voter ceases to be resident in a constituency and choose to transfer his/her voting cards to the constituency he is now resident.  It reads “Notwithstanding anything contained in this part, a registered voter may at any time, if he ceases to be resident in the constituency in which he is registered as a voter, make application in accordance with form 9 of schedule III to the Commission for his name to be transferred to the register of the constituency in which he has now became resident.”

It is therefore evident that one can only transfer a voting card if one’s residence has changed from one constituency to another.  It is not a matter of mere choice of where one wishes to register as a voter.

This is precisely the reason why section 35 (3) makes it mandatory for the commission to make inquiries as it may deem fit to satisfy itself that the application is bona fide before approving it.

It is only then that it can effect the transfer under section 35 (3) and issue the applicant a new voting card.

Our executive committee has questioned whether the IEC has the means to scrutinize all applications for transfer prior to the holding of the by elections in the four constituencies.

Suffice it to say, according to Section 35 (6) the commission must delete the name of the person from the register of the constituency in which he/she ceases to reside, ask the applicant to surrender the voting card of the constituency where he/she ceases to reside which must be attached to the counterfoil of the new card.

Secondly, the name of the applicant must be deleted from the register of the constituency in which he was originally registered.  Thirdly, the name of the person must be entered in the register of the constituency where he/she has transferred with the indication of name of the constituency from which the voter has been transferred.

Finally, section 37 (1) makes it mandatory for the Commission to publish the list of the names of all voters who have been transferred from one constituency to another showing the constituencies from and to which they have been transferred which shall be made available by the commission for inspection in the offices of the Registering Officer and at such other place as the commission may direct.

In view of the cumbersome nature of the exercise of ensuring transparency and accountability in effecting the transfer of voting cards, the executive committee is of the view that time is against the IEC, on this matter.  The time required to scrutinize the application and the list by the public is not in favour of the IEC.

We have already received the register of voters and their supplementary registers in preparation for the by election.  In our view, the law has made it practicable for the IEC to conduct the elections without any doubts looming in the horizons of the by elections.  According to Section 33, the head register together with the supplementary registers are now in force.  They should simply be relied on to conduct the by elections.

It is our candid view that while the replacement of a damaged or lost card of a voter whose name already appears in a register of voters in the four constituencies is judicious opening the flood gates for transfers could lead to endless disputes.

In this light, we strongly request that the IEC rely on the register of voters and the supplementary registers up to the last supplementary registration to conduct the by election without the inclusion of any transfers, subsequent to the last registration exercise.

Your favourable response would go a long way in allaying legitimate concerns and fears.

Yours in the service of the Nation,



..............................................................

Halifa Sallah,

FOR THE NADD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE



Cc:       APRC

            GPDP

            NDAM

            NCP

            NRP

            PDOIS

            PPP

            UDP



Foroyaa: Have you seen any effect?

Halifa: Our major objective is to leave nothing unsaid and unwritten. The final assessment on impact is the validity if the transfers. We are not taking things for granted. We already have the registered before the transfers. We will be able to monitor all the transfers. What we will do will depend on the volume of the transfers. If they are insignificant we may ignore tem.

Foroyaa: there are reports that some people are moving from compound to compound to buy voters cards; how do you see that?

Halifa: The law is very clear on this. To bribe someone to prevent hi or her from voting or induce him or her to vote is a crime. This is a corrupt practice. In fact, the election of a person can become invalid if he/she is found guilty of corrupt electoral practices.

All those who want free and fair elections should trap those who go into compounds to buy votes and expose them. This is easier once they pay and take the voters card of the person. The name of such a person should be brought o us for exposure. In actual, thieves do not want exposure. Hence the best way to combat corrupt practices is exposure.

Foroyaa: Can you explain the offence of corrupt practice?

Halifa: Section 121 of the Elections Decree states that “A person who is guilty of bribery, treating, under influence or personation or the aiding or the abetting, conselling or procuring the commission of the offence of the personationation commits the offence of a corrupt practice and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceed in twenty five thousand dalasis or to imprisonment to a term not exceeding five years or both.”

Foroyaa: Thats stiff.

Halifa: Well sub section (2) of the same section adds: “Person who is convicted of corrupt practices shall, in addition to any other punishment, be incapable during a period of ten years from the date of his conviction he has been sentenced to imprisonment, during such imprisonment and during a period of ten years from the date when complete the serving of such sentence

(a) of being registered as voter or voting at any election held under the provisions of this decree, and

(b) of being elected to any office to which this decree applies or, if elected before his conviction, of retaining such office and

(c) of holding any judicial office

Foroyaa: Why is it that such things are still unknown o the vast majority of people?

Halifa: This is all just of voter education which should be conducted in full by the IEC we have a long way to go. However, we will get there if we consolidate NADD and if we have a government which is genuinely culled to democracy





THE BOARDER STAND OFF

By Surakata Danso

A day after the implementation of the new tariffs for ferry crossing by the Gambia Ports Authority, the Senegalese Transport Union announced a boycott of Gambian ferries.  In a follow up on Sud FM Radio Station, views were expressed on the tariff increment as being exorbitantly.  They called on Senegalese commercial vehicles to use the Tamba Counda route in their bid to get to the Southern Senegal region of Cassamance.  People could also be heard saying that tyre repairers and fuel stations would also be provided along the way.

As a result within two days both the Banjul/Barra ferry terminals were cleared of long queues of both Senegalese and Gambian commercial vehicles.

When Foroyaa contacted some drivers of Gambian commercial vehicles, they opined that they are being blocked by the Senegalese Transport Union.  At the Banjul/Barra Ferry Terminal the authorities also opined that the tariff increment is for both Gambians and Senegalese.  They questioned the authority of the Senegalese Transport Union on decisions made by a sovereign Republic.  They said that the reaction of the Senegalese Transport Union was too excessive, in that they are only a union within a state; that it is their opinion that interstate matters should be addressed by the two governments.  Public opinion in the Gambia also expressed that the relationships of both countries do not require such misguidedness.  They called on the two states to address the matter because of the single family nature of the two peoples.

At the Senegalese and Gambian boarder villages of Amdalai and Karang during a visit by this reporter, the free flow of people from both sides was noticed.  When contacted the Chief of the Senegalese commercial transport car park declined to comment, noting that the matter depends on both governments.  But there too, public opinion is that the boycott will affect the lives of the peoples of both countries.  One of them even added that if the boycott goes on, it is true that the earnings if the Gambian ferries may go down, but at the same time it will affect the earnings of the Senegalese commercial industries because expenditure on transport via eastern Senegal will go up about three times more than the ferry crossing.





IEC REACTS TO FOROYAA’S EDITORIAL

In Reaction to the FOROYAA Editorial of Issue No 65/2005, we publish the following press release issued by the IEC.

At the risk of disappointing those Gambians who are familiar with the style of management of the IEC’s Chairman, the IEC cannot but respond to the editorial of the Foroyaa Newspaper issue of 18 - 21 August 2005.            “

The whole issue concerning the participation of Gambians overseas, including the chairman’s own children, should be considered under two universal principles: the rights principle and the equity principle - both within the context of the limited nature of the necessary and available resources at the disposal of the IEC. While it is the right of every Gambian of eighteen years and above to vote in national elections, no Gambian is “required” by law to vote. The second principle has to do With the utilisation of the available resources per head of the registered voters. Will it be equitable to deploy over five times the resources deployed for enabling a Gambian voter overseas over and above a Gambian voter in the Gambia knowing fully well that that neither is required to vote?

 Can it be assumed that all Gambians living abroad are provided equal opportunities to exercise their fundamental rights to vote knowing fully well the legality concerning the residents of many Gambians currently living abroad?

 If it were that the laws of the Gambia requires every eligible Gambian to vote, the Gambia Government would have been compel1ed to provide the necessary resources to enable the IEC to ensure that all eligible Gambians are made to vote.

 It might in fact not be helpful to identify Gambians whose legal status in the foreign countries are doubtful.

 The Constitution of the Gambia, 1997, provides that the members of the IEC are appointed by the President of the Republic. Once appointed and sworn, the members have nothing to be intimidated about in the execution of their functions.

 It is obvious that what the author wants the IEC to say is that at the risk of being removed from office, the Chairman of the IEC should say that he disagreed with the President’s view and that if IEC failed to do that it would be that the Chairman was timid. After 50 years of public service it is believed, it would be realised that the last thing, that should be done was not to associate, by implication, the Chairman with fear. For what it may be worth to him/her that the Chairman’s daily prayers include that Allah may remove the humiliating human chains of ‘fear and greed’ from him.

The date for the by-elections in the four constituencies with vacant seats at the National Assembly was fixed by the mc and not dictated to by the ruling party. To say that the APRC announced the date before the IEC is considered to be an attempt to discredit the IEC for some reason. The Gambia is a small country and the grapevine spreads at a vertiginous speed much faster than the creators of the information.

The IEC does not want to cause and indeed to be drawn into polemics relating to the transfers and replacements of voting cards since it does not have the time for that. As indicated in our correspondence to NADD Central Committee, the IEC is required to fix a limitation - 29th August 2005 - after which date no transfers and replacements are entertained. To be specific, the IEC. has made a total of 10 transfers and 20 replacements of voting cards in the Upper Saloum Constituency. The political allegiance of holders of transferred and replaced voting cards is not the prerogative of the IEC but this is simply done in the spirit of the fundamental rights of voters to move their cards to their areas of residence. It is therefore incorrect to assume or nurture the impression that the IEC is acting in such a way as to create a more favourable environment for a certain political party in order for it to win elections.

In the wake of clarifications made to the Chairman, it has come to the knowledge of the IEC that the process of Transfers and Replacements had been stopped in Upper Saloum unbeknowing to the Chairman following the NRP claim of a mass transfer process. The investigation carried out from the mc Regional Office in Janjanbureh revealed that a total number of transfers and replacements indicated above were indeed made. The IEC hopes that the new schedule will enable genuine transfer seekers who are affected by the brief halting of the process to be able to do so before the 29th August 2005.



HALIFA ADDRESSES CONSTITUENTS



By Fatou Janneh

Speaking at a meeting on Sunday 21st August 2005, the former National Assembly Member for Serrekunda Central, clearly stated that the debt burden of the Gambia now stands at 22 Billion Dalasis.

Mr. Sallah made this remark in Bundung while addressing a NADD committee meeting.  He pointed out that no country can develop entirely on loans without creating avenues for generating income.  He posited that this year alone, 1.4 Billion Dalasis will be deducted from the national budget to service the country’s debt.

He said the salary for a Qualified Teacher is One Thousand Five Hundred Dalasis (D1,500.00) and this amount cannot solve the needs of that teacher.  He also added that the prices for commodities are escalating every now and then.  He said meat which serves as a good nutrient to the human body is not an exception.

He said that Customs and Excise is to contribute D1.5 Billion to the national budget this year.  He said it is easy to draw conclusion that everybody contributes to the national budget.  He added that an ID Card applicant pays D100 for an ID Card whilst a Passport applicant pays D500 and all goes into the national budget.

He however emphasized that it is an obligation for every citizen to know his/her worth, right and liberties in a state in order to avoid being used.  He added that the masses should not allow few people to enjoy at their detriment.  He opined that such malpractices are signs of bad governance in a country. “Elections are significant.”  “You have the power to elect people you believe could serve you.  But when they also acted as lords or misused the power entrusted to them, you have the same power to vote them out,” he emphasised.

Mr. Sallah remarked that the various opposition parties in the country gave birth to NADD in order to put an end to the abuse of public office, official corruption and other related vices which continue to negate the welfare of the people.

He further stated that the purpose of an opposition in a country is to serve as an alternative government and NADD he emphasised, is resolved to put an end to self perpetuating rule in this country.

Pa Mass Jobe, an elder in the community emphasised that NADD was not only formed to unseat the president, but it is a necessary to have an alternative in a country and this he said, cannot be attained in the absence of an opposition.

He appealed to the electorate to refrain from selling their voter cards which determines their voice and power.



IMMIGRATION ACCUSED OF HARASSMENT



By Bubacarr K. Sowe

Villagers at Ghana Town have strongly spoken against the continuous pattern of harassment, beatings and robbings of money by personnel of the Immigration Department, who often visit the village and demand people to show their nationality status. According to some of them who spoke to Foroyaa Newspaper, they narrated that during the late hours of Saturday, the 20th of August 2005, many people in Ghana Town were arrested, packed in vehicles and brought to the Serrekunda Police Station, where they were detained over night.

A 25 year old man said that he was coming from studies when an immigration officer asked him to produce his identity card, which he said he left at home and requested from the officer to collect it , that the officer refused that he was packed on the spot and taken to the Serrekunda Police Station.

According to one Peter, he has a Gambian birth certificate but that this did not save him from the hands of the officers. He added that he was born in The Gambia and that even his mother too was born here to a Ghanaian woman who came to the Gambia in 1958.

He also alleged that the officers forced them to sit on the ground by the Kombo Coastal Highway sometimes with beatings and pushing into their vehicle.

He continued that he was once a victim f daylight robbery by an immigration officer around the West Field Junction, when about D150 was taken from him by the officer.

He also claimed that they were ordered to pay D250 at the Serrekunda Police Station by immigration officers in order for them to be released on bail.

Another victim of the alleged Police brutality also described the operations of the Immigration in the village as disappointing.

“If we claimed that we are Gambians they tell us that we are liars. They run after us, chasing us into the bush. They arrest and took us to the Serrekunda Police Station. They did not give us audience to explain anything to them. At times they even slap us without explanation kicking us and pushing us into their vehicles in a very inhuman and barbaric manner which should not be done.” He cried out.

Another victim who also suffered the same ordeal stated that he was born here to a Gambian father and a Ghanaian mother.

“They found me in my sister’s store and asked me my papers. I told them that if they can give me chance I will go for them and produce them and they said no. They started to force and push me. Some of them were wearing civilian dresses. They behaved abnormal by beating, kicking and slapping me. They forced me to sit on the floor. They stamped on me and that is not right. The harassment was too much. We are citizens of the Gambia and we are working on our documents,” he said.

However, at the time of going to press, Foroyaa could not reach the Immigration Department to hear their version of the story. We will continue to inform our readers on the latest development in subsequent issues.



HARRY’S SUPERMARKET BLAMES KMC



Sanna Saidykhan

Student of Jollof tutors on Monday morning barricaded the gate of Harry’s Supermarket with refuse, halting its operation from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm.

The school is on same storey building with the supermarket.  The students said that they have warned the proprietor to be collecting the waste that is generated by Harry’s Supermarket which is often dumped behind the building, as the pungent odour from garbage pollutes the entire environment.  Many of them said that the refuse makes them uncomfortable n class.   The students said that they brought the refuse to his gate for him to take action as it has bee neglected for a long time, behind the building.

However, the proprietor of Harry’s supermarket, Surresh Kumar Wadwani, told Foroyaa that the KMC refuse collection team is responsible for collecting the garbage, but the team has not been turning up.  Mr Wadwani said that they (Harry’s) use their own truck to collect the waste; that for last two weeks, the truck had a break down, thus making it impossible for them to collect the garbage.  He admitted receiving complaints from the principal Alagie Kurang, two days before the unfortunate incident, but promised to solve it.  Mr Wadwani added,

The huge waste comprising old cartons nylon bags and other decomposed materials, were dumped to block the gate of the supermarket.



NEWLY BORN BABY ABANDONED

Suspect Arrested

Amie Sanneh

A newly born baby was discovered abandoned on Tuesday afternoon at around 3 pm on the road opposite Tallinding Lower Basic School. An eyewitness told this paper how the baby was discovered: “The baby was put inside a plastic bag and was left on the road. A CSE vehicle engaged in constructing this road rode over the baby as it was reversing. The plastic bag then bursted and destroyed the baby’s head which was seen by passers by.” The eye witness noted that since in the morning the plastic was lying there but no one knew that a baby was inside it.

This eyewitness who described the incident as terrible believes that “this child must have been born two or three days ago.” Another eyewitness who also talked to this paper suggested that the baby must have been born two or three days ago.” Another eyewitness who also talked to this paper suggested that the baby must have been washed by rain water.

“This baby must have been washed away by rain water since it had been raining for the past days. As you can see this area has gutters in which the water runs,” he said. He added that, “This is just unfortunate.  I don’t know which type of condition must have forced the mother to dump the baby but it is really serious



OJ HARPS ON THE FORTHCOMING BY- ELECTIONS



By Fatou Janneh

Omar Jallow, popularly known as OJ, and a former Member of Parliament for Serrekunda East has said that the forth coming by elections is more important than the 2006 Presidential Elections mainly because it will serve as a litmus test for Jammeh and his government that their time is up.  “Power belongs to the people and it cannot be monopolised by individuals or self centered people, who claim to have the country at heart,” he stressed.

He added that this is the time to show President Jammeh that “our vote is our voice and power.  He noted that this means that President Jammeh does not have absolute power on the masses.  OJ made these statements while addressing supporters and sympathisers of NADD at Serrekunda on the 21st day of August 2005.

He asserted that Halifa Sallah, the Coordinator of NADD is the most competent and out spoken parliamentarian in the National Assembly and that is the reason why President Jammeh has made it categorically clear that he doesn’t want people of his calibre to be in the house.  “Jammeh know very well that Halifa probes on all the activities and hidden agenda of his government and that he (Jammeh) would only like representatives (MPs) who he could handle like a hand luggage.”

He assured the NADD supporters that politics of deception and character assassination has no place in the political history of the Gambia any longer.  He opined that Mr. Sallah is the only suitable candidate who would serve not only the people of Serrekunda Central but the whole country.  He described Halifa as “a knowledgeable person who possesses leadership skills and qualities and who is always ready and willing to render his services to the people in order to free our motherland”, he emphasized.

He told the NADD supporters that the bad laws that are introduced or enacted by this regime are challenged by Mr. Sallah.  He however urged the electorates to cast their votes peacefully and wisely on the 29th day of September without fear or influence from anybody.

On his part, the former NAM for Serrekunda Central emphasized that the essence of being human is to realise one’s dignity and self worth as a human being.

He asserted that the country is owned by its citizens and that that is why people have the right to vote.  He assured the people that power belongs to them and that sovereignty resides in them.  “This is why you have the right to vote and say how you want your country to be ruled.” He told the crowd.

He further stated that when people elect representatives, they entrust them with their powers.  He said such people should not betray the trust of the electorates.  He said that the President is elected based on this.  “That is why we elect a president every 5 years as stated in the constitution, to watch and properly manage the national wealth on our behalf, hence we all cannot be the president”, he posited.

He said that it is because of these reasons that we have National Assembly Members who will be representing people and serve them as their mouth piece in the National Assembly.  “And such people must serve as watch dogs to all the activities of the government”, he clarified.



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