Fraudulent voters undermine genuineness of 2011 Polls - Hamat Bah
<http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/fraudulent-voters-undermine-genuineness-of-2011-polls-hamat-bah#map>
Africa <http://thepoint.gm/africa/news> »
Gambia<http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/news>
Monday, December 05, 2011
Following a brief post election respite, independent presidential candidate
Hamat Bah has said that the participation of fraudulent voters and their
accomplices in the campaign and voting process gave added impetus to
fraudulent voting and thus undermined the genuineness of the Presidential
Election.
Bah, who lost to Jammeh in the 24th November presidential polls after he
contested as an independent candidate under the banner of the opposition
United Front, was speaking at a press conference convened by the United
Front at the Peoples Centre in Churchill’s Town yesterday.
The objectives of his statement, he said, are to examine the strengths and
weaknesses of the system by weighing practice during the presidential
elections against the benchmarks established by law and standards of best
practice; make a pronouncement on the genuineness of the 2011 Presidential
elections, and further propose remedies if the facts on the ground so
dictate.
He told journalists that no effort was done by the Independent Electoral
Commission to combat the impact of fraudulent registration of voters,
stressing that if that was done, many who registered in a fraudulent manner
would not have dared to come and vote.
Abuse of incumbency
Dilating on a wide range of points, Hamat Bah said a free and fair election
is conceivable if the voter is free from any form of inducement or
intimidation, and the candidates have equal access to put their programmes
before the people without any hindrance.
“The incumbent has utilized the state media to perpetuate the view that the
election is not about candidature, but a competition between regions
regarding which region would have the highest percentage of votes in order
to earn recognition for development to be brought to them,” he stated.
According to him, despite the fact that the IEC chairman has gone on tour
to tell chiefs, regional governors and the village headmen/women not to
interfere with the electoral process, so as to have a more level playing
field to give rise to genuine elections, no impact has been registered on
that score.
“The business community did not hesitate to provide transport, T-shirts,
football gears and other campaign materials to the youth wing of the party,
which constantly went on tour and was given support by regional governors
and district chiefs thus giving them an air of official recognition,” Bah
added.
He noted that the state media also served to give the impression that there
were no go areas for the opposition, and that the opposition was dead.
“Green flags and billboards of the incumbent were put in public places. The
convoys of the president accompanied by heavily armed military personnel
moved with breakneck speed across villages and towns, thus giving the air
of supremacy of the incumbent,” Bah stated.
The Election Observers
Independent candidate Bah acknowledged the concerns by members of missions
sent by the UN, The Commonwealth, ECOWAS and the European Union in
determining what role they could play to nurture observance of the rule of
law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, good governance and a
democratic culture in The Gambia.
“We have reviewed the pre-electoral and post electoral statements of the
Commonwealth, the AU, the EU and ECOWAS. Despite the tone of the reports,
whether couched in diplomatic language or not all corroborate the fact that
inappropriate constitutional, institutional and normative practices are in
place which militates against the holding of free and fair elections,” Bah
told journalists.
He added reports by the different missions have seen the need to open the
media to diverse political views, separate party and state so that the
public servants, army personnel and other public servants would consider
themselves to be servants of all the people without regard to any party
affiliation.
The Independent Electoral Commission
Noting that the Commission focuses mainly on the registration and voting
process, the United Front flag bearer said outside the campaign period, it
has no control over the state media in promoting freedom of political
expression or the law enforcement agencies in terms of promoting freedom of
political assembly.
Bah said it is high time for the Electoral Commission to acknowledge the
abuse of incumbency before the whole world, as it is unable to check and
control the millions the APRC party is receiving from the business
community, foreign and Gambian, as well as public enterprises for party
affairs.
“The Office of the Vice President is openly used to receive funds for the
party. The Commission has witnessed the executive accusing the opposition
of receiving money from embassies, and has seen GRTS staff up to the rank
of Directorate, being made to translate and transmit derogatory remarks
against the opposition,” he stated.
He added that the tendency of the Commission to be rash with the opposition
to the point of threatening disqualification for the independent candidate,
while the constitution and election laws especially on party financing are
broken left, right and center with impunity confirms that the IEC needs to
be further empowered to enable it to create the climate for free and fair
elections in the country.
*The Media*
Commenting on the side of the media, Bah said programmes initiated by
Teranga FM as well as those initiated by Malick Jones of GRTS radio did
facilitate debate among parties.
“The print media did also contribute to the dissemination of divergent
views. RTS TV also assisted in promoting divergent views in the Senegalese
media, which the APRC tried to use to promote its agenda,” he said.
Concluding, Bah said despite the fact that the United Front had and could
have had more than 73, 060 votes, it humbly submits that they made a great
effort, but time and resources did not permit them earn outright victory at
the Presidential elections.
He added that the abuse of incumbency is so pervasive that no right
thinking political figure would conceive it as legitimate to reward the
incumbent by giving the election a clean bill of health.
Author: *Abdourahman Sallah*
- Hamat Bah
<http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/fraudulent-voters-undermine-genuineness-of-2011-polls-hamat-bah#map>
Africa <http://thepoint.gm/africa/news> »
Gambia<http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/news>
Monday, December 05, 2011
Following a brief post election respite, independent presidential candidate
Hamat Bah has said that the participation of fraudulent voters and their
accomplices in the campaign and voting process gave added impetus to
fraudulent voting and thus undermined the genuineness of the Presidential
Election.
Bah, who lost to Jammeh in the 24th November presidential polls after he
contested as an independent candidate under the banner of the opposition
United Front, was speaking at a press conference convened by the United
Front at the Peoples Centre in Churchill’s Town yesterday.
The objectives of his statement, he said, are to examine the strengths and
weaknesses of the system by weighing practice during the presidential
elections against the benchmarks established by law and standards of best
practice; make a pronouncement on the genuineness of the 2011 Presidential
elections, and further propose remedies if the facts on the ground so
dictate.
He told journalists that no effort was done by the Independent Electoral
Commission to combat the impact of fraudulent registration of voters,
stressing that if that was done, many who registered in a fraudulent manner
would not have dared to come and vote.
Abuse of incumbency
Dilating on a wide range of points, Hamat Bah said a free and fair election
is conceivable if the voter is free from any form of inducement or
intimidation, and the candidates have equal access to put their programmes
before the people without any hindrance.
“The incumbent has utilized the state media to perpetuate the view that the
election is not about candidature, but a competition between regions
regarding which region would have the highest percentage of votes in order
to earn recognition for development to be brought to them,” he stated.
According to him, despite the fact that the IEC chairman has gone on tour
to tell chiefs, regional governors and the village headmen/women not to
interfere with the electoral process, so as to have a more level playing
field to give rise to genuine elections, no impact has been registered on
that score.
“The business community did not hesitate to provide transport, T-shirts,
football gears and other campaign materials to the youth wing of the party,
which constantly went on tour and was given support by regional governors
and district chiefs thus giving them an air of official recognition,” Bah
added.
He noted that the state media also served to give the impression that there
were no go areas for the opposition, and that the opposition was dead.
“Green flags and billboards of the incumbent were put in public places. The
convoys of the president accompanied by heavily armed military personnel
moved with breakneck speed across villages and towns, thus giving the air
of supremacy of the incumbent,” Bah stated.
The Election Observers
Independent candidate Bah acknowledged the concerns by members of missions
sent by the UN, The Commonwealth, ECOWAS and the European Union in
determining what role they could play to nurture observance of the rule of
law, respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, good governance and a
democratic culture in The Gambia.
“We have reviewed the pre-electoral and post electoral statements of the
Commonwealth, the AU, the EU and ECOWAS. Despite the tone of the reports,
whether couched in diplomatic language or not all corroborate the fact that
inappropriate constitutional, institutional and normative practices are in
place which militates against the holding of free and fair elections,” Bah
told journalists.
He added reports by the different missions have seen the need to open the
media to diverse political views, separate party and state so that the
public servants, army personnel and other public servants would consider
themselves to be servants of all the people without regard to any party
affiliation.
The Independent Electoral Commission
Noting that the Commission focuses mainly on the registration and voting
process, the United Front flag bearer said outside the campaign period, it
has no control over the state media in promoting freedom of political
expression or the law enforcement agencies in terms of promoting freedom of
political assembly.
Bah said it is high time for the Electoral Commission to acknowledge the
abuse of incumbency before the whole world, as it is unable to check and
control the millions the APRC party is receiving from the business
community, foreign and Gambian, as well as public enterprises for party
affairs.
“The Office of the Vice President is openly used to receive funds for the
party. The Commission has witnessed the executive accusing the opposition
of receiving money from embassies, and has seen GRTS staff up to the rank
of Directorate, being made to translate and transmit derogatory remarks
against the opposition,” he stated.
He added that the tendency of the Commission to be rash with the opposition
to the point of threatening disqualification for the independent candidate,
while the constitution and election laws especially on party financing are
broken left, right and center with impunity confirms that the IEC needs to
be further empowered to enable it to create the climate for free and fair
elections in the country.
*The Media*
Commenting on the side of the media, Bah said programmes initiated by
Teranga FM as well as those initiated by Malick Jones of GRTS radio did
facilitate debate among parties.
“The print media did also contribute to the dissemination of divergent
views. RTS TV also assisted in promoting divergent views in the Senegalese
media, which the APRC tried to use to promote its agenda,” he said.
Concluding, Bah said despite the fact that the United Front had and could
have had more than 73, 060 votes, it humbly submits that they made a great
effort, but time and resources did not permit them earn outright victory at
the Presidential elections.
He added that the abuse of incumbency is so pervasive that no right
thinking political figure would conceive it as legitimate to reward the
incumbent by giving the election a clean bill of health.
Author: *Abdourahman Sallah*
--
*
*****************************************************************************
GOD BLESS THE GAMBIA.
LET US JOIN HANDS AND SUPPORT SHEIKH PROFESSOR DR. ALH YAHYA JAMMEH (NASIRU
DEEN) TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY. *
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