In a message dated 8/11/01 3:47:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:


> Most irregularities happens
> before election day itself. The oppositions should also work on the kind of
> securities to put in place in order to avert any irregularities during the
> transportation of ballot boxes. I bet a competent Returning Officer will
> detect any vote rigging as soon as he/she started counting.
>
>
Manneh
What do you propose a competent returning officer to do at this stage in the
process...that is in the midst of counting? Furthermore I humbly disagree
with your assertion that most irregularities happen before election day. My
own experience with the conduct of elections in the Gambia has ingrained me
the fact that you can rig the results of an election on election day.

If a government is hell bent on staying in power as yaya and his cohorts
are..then my brother the security measures you are propounding becomes mute
or ineffective. A case in point is when I was thrown out of the counting
center during the referendum in Mansa Konko. After a hiatus of three hours I
was allowed back to participate in the counting of the votes. And guess what
my learned friend? I did found discrepancies that should make the referendum
results in most lower river division null and void. The results despite all
the discrepancies were certified. You can have all the counting agents and
party agents if you want but the fact of the matter remains that there is a
duration of time between the arrival of the ballot boxes at the counting
centers and the beginning of the counting process. This is the period where
illegal maneuverings take place or in my case this is when I believe the
ballots were tampered with.

Don't get me wrong manneh, but with the frequency that the seals used in
sealing the ballot boxes broke during transportation, any unscrupulous person
can scope tokens form one box to another while they await counting at the
commissioners office. If the opposition relent on the spot counting..then
they can kiss this coming election good-bye.

Regards,
ousman.

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