Any Fraudulent Election Can Result to Crisis - Juwara

While calling on IEC to resign
The National Secretary of the main Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP)
Lamin Waa Juwara, better known as "Mbarodi" has warned that any fraudulent
elections in The Gambia could result to a crisis situation and that
President Yahya Jammeh's pronouncement on centralise counting of votesis
untenable and unacceptable.

Juwara, who was speaking yesterday at his Brikama residence in an exclusive
interview with this Newspaper called on the international community,
especially the United Nations to give what be called limited supervision to
the coming elections, to ensure that there is level playing field and free
and fair elections the former Niamina Dankunku Parliamentarian added "It is
better to prevent a crisis than to wait until there is crisis that would
need the international community resolution. Any fraud elections in the
Gambia can result to a crisis situation in the Gambia.

As far as the UDP is concerned we will be accepting winning or losing only
when there is free and fair elections". Reacting to President Jammhe's
pronouncement that there wouldn't any spot counting in the October elections
Juwara said, it is not surprising that he could take stand like this,
because that is the only safety value for him to stay in power, because he
has lost the support of the people." Juwara alleged that the only way they
can steal our victory is the transportation of ballot boxes under cover of
darkness to fix them on the way and declare themselves winners on the
central counting stations.

The UDP national secretary told the Point that the Independent Electoral
Commission's credibility had been discredited by President Jammeh's
statement on the centralising counting of votes "His statement proves that
the decision of the current IEC to rescind the earlier decision taken under
Bishop Tilewa Johnson's chairmanship goes to show that the IEC is not
independent, but dictated by Jammeh "said Juwara while calling on the entire
IEC set up headed by Gabriel Roberts to resign with immediate effect.

Juwara added that President Jammeh's statement in an interview with a
Senegalese journalist has proved that it is the executive that is dictating
what goes on at the IEC Juwara, said counting on the spot was done is
Senegal and Guinea Bissau, despite those countries have security problem at
the time of going to the polls. "I therefore see no reason why the Gambia
cannot do the same. And it is less expensive, it is transparent and since
the elections belong to the people, the representatives of the main
respective parties have settled for on the spot counting' Juwara told the
Point he suggested that since the government is claiming lack of enough
security all retired Policemen should be recalled to serve two day electoral
duty.

Juwara also suggested that they could also contract the America security
firm Wackenhut to provide security for election day. He added that the
Jammeh government could also contact president Abdoulie Wade of Senegal for
help. Juwara said there is no political will, but the question of security
is totally untenable. Juwara told this paper that the opposition still stood
by its original demand on the counting on the spot pointing out that they
will not settle for anything less than discentralise counting. Commenting on
the Bishop Tilewa Johnson's pending case in the Supreme court Juwara said
they are awaiting the ruling of the court. Juwara, argued that the sacking
of former IEC chairman Bishop Tilewa Johnson was unconstitutional.





_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------