IT IS GOOD TO HEAR FROM A FORMER PIEC WORKER

Thanks for those observations Mr. Ceesay. The referendum was a perfect trial
run  for PIEC to strengthen their security strategy. You are right that the
security seals(green in color) were pretty fragile during transportation in
many parts of the country but they were replaced with harder ones(red in
color)during presidential election.
Also during referendum the safety of ballot boxes were entirely left to the
PIEC officials(you especially) and the police officers. There was no polling
agents and counting agents representing political parties.In all the polling
stations under me, i make sure that the presiding officer and his/her
assistants had physical possession of the boxes throughout. I had no
discrepancy. You see your own organisational skill as an Assistant Returning
Officer is very important here. I think i met you on few occasions and you
were a very good ARO.
Mr. Ceesay, i cannot understand why you should allow a station commander to
usurp your duty even after the intervention of the PIEC commissioner, Ms
Baldeh. I had a big fight with Jai Sowe, station officer in Sibanor and the
chief of Foni Bintang Karangnai on how to transport ballot boxes to Brikama
during referendum but i completely refused their plans even after the
intervention of the Returning Officer. Finally they subdued and i drove
behind the Corporative truck(transporting ballot boxes and election duty
officials) up to the counting center. I really appreciate your resistance
but you should not yield.
Please for the sake of open and frank debate, let us know what events you
have witness during referendum which if allowed in presidential election
could alter the results completely.
cheers
Your former colleagues
PF Manneh


>From: Ousman Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Attn: Mr. Lamin Manneh PF
>Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 21:14:08 EDT
>
>In a message dated 7/12/00 10:37:24 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > f the boxes were
> >  tampered with by unknown individuals this will be detected immediately
>by
> >  counting agents and PIEC official because the seals will be broken or
>the
> >  numbers will defer. Remember these seals were manufactured in Canada
>and
>had
> >  serial numbers known only to the polling agents and presiding
>officer.(NB
>
>This  is not fraud prove. I remember during the referendum we had the same
>make of seals. These materials [seals] are prone to breaking during
>transportation
>from polling stations to counting centers. The P.I.E.C even went to the
>extent of
>proving forms to record any such incident. Therefore Mr. manneh's assertion
>that
>this mechanism could be in any way a deterrent to rigging wouldn't stand
>the test of time.iam not in anyway or by any means trying to diminish the
>diligence of  the P.I.E.C. Like  Mr. manneh I worked for this organization
>up
>until after the referendum. I have witness events during the referendum
>which
>if
>allowed during the subsequent elections could alter the results altogether.
>
>I served as a senior registration officer in L.R.D and later as an
>assistant
>returning officer in the same locality during the referendum. As an
>assistant
>returning officer in charge of twelve polling stations ...you would expect
>me
>to be in charge of the ballot boxes until they are counted per P.I.E.C
>regulations.but this was not the case.As soon as I collected all the ballot
>boxes from the various polling stations I was asked by the officer
>commanding
>mansakonko...
>one Mr. Mbaye [if my memory serve me right] to leave the premises. I tried
>to
>resist
>but had to give in since my fellow AROs are heeding his command. His
>explanation for this actions is that...those are orders from headquarters.
>He
>refused to relent
>even after the P.I.E.C commissioner for L.R.D intervened.
>
>I was awakened from bed three hours later to come and witness the counting
>of votes. This was not an easy task since the presiding officers and there
>staff
>[the people on the ground were not allowed to attend].Most of the tamper
>prove
>seals were broken during transportation
>Heated debates ensued since my colleagues
>and I..after been sent away were asked to explain the discrepancies in the
>token
>counts in contrast to the amount given out to each polling station. In the
>whole
>of Jarra west only one polling stations vote count equal the amount of
>token
>given
>out to the officials...thats was the station in Kani kunda.Mr Roberts
>infact
>refused
>to announce the results for most of L.R.D  for  almost four hours due to
>numerous
>discrepancies we encountered in tallying tokens assigned and tokens we
>finally have
>at counting. he finally announced the results....the common guy on the
>street
>would
>have no knowledge of these discrepancies.
>i was not in the country during the subsequent election, but my gut feeling
>is..
>if the above scenario was evident then rigging the elections would be a
>piece
>of cake for anybody in charge of the state machinery.
>
>looking forward to hear your comments on this one.
>Regards,
>ousman
>
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