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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 18:45:25
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RELATED BANTABA TOPIC;
DAILY OBSERVER NEWS;
"Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has emphasised that he is still the chairman of the Commission and will remain so for the next seven years.
Alhagie Mustapha Carayol was reacting to what he described as ‘speculations’ from some disgruntled Gambians in local newspapers, mainly from the opposition, who he said are claiming that his tenure in office as the IEC chairman has elapsed. Showing a letter of appointment from the Office of the President dated 5th April, 2011, to this reporter yesterday in his office in Kanifing, Carayol said the appointment has given him the mandate to lead the Commission from now till 2018.
Carayol mentioned Halifa Sallah and Mai Fatty, saying these people have even tabled their claims before the African Union and the Commonwealth observers who are currently in the country to observe tomorrow’s National Assembly election. He said both the AU and the Commonwealth observers later raised the issue with him and he answered them accurately. “Please let them not mislead the Gambian people,” he added.
Tomorrow’s N/A election
Dilating on tomorrow’s National Assembly election, Chairman Carayol said where there is no transparent election there can never be good governance and by extension, that country might end up having a dictatorial leadership.“In any election where there is a massive voter turnout, that election will always be successful,” he added.
The IEC chairman disclosed that for the first time in the history of The Gambia, all the counting of votes will be conducted at the polling stations, while reminding the electorate that voting will start by 7am and end by 6pm.He said out of 1302 polling stations, only 510 polling stations will be used in this election; with 23 polling stations in two constituencies in the Banjul administrative area, 129 polling stations in three constituencies in the Kanifing administrative area and 104 polling stations in three constituencies in the Brikama administrative area.
In the Kerewan administrative area, Chairman Carayol said there will be 70 polling stations in three constituencies, 47 polling stations in three constituencies in the Mansakonko administrative area while Janjangbureh and Basse administrative areas have 106 polling stations in eight constituencies and 31 polling stations in one constituency respectively.
Commenting on the security during the election date, the IEC boss disclosed that there will be over 1000 police personnel deployed to all polling stations to ensure a peaceful election. He added that his office has already held discussions with the Inspector General of Police on that issue.
He hailed Gambians for the sense of maturity they have been showing during elections, noting that all elections held in the country from 1996 to date have been free and fair. While emphasising the need for both candidates and their electorate to show maximum maturity and accept defeat in the election, Carayol observed that democracy is a process that a country cannot just achieve in a day.
Author: Amadou Jallow"
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Edited by - kobo on 29 Mar 2012 18:51:46 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 19:06:16
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FOROYAA NEWS;
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Edited by - kobo on 29 Mar 2012 19:07:27 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 19:20:27
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| Ever wonder about any secret deal between Carayol and Jammeh, think no more. Carayol has let the cat out of bag. Only in Jammeh Gambia such abuse is largely condoned. |
Karamba |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2012 : 23:00:06
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FOROYAA BURNING ISSUES NEWS;
"The Group of six opposition political parties that claim to have been pushed out of the 2012 National Assembly elections have tendered a letter dated 1 April to Mr Carayol urging him “to vacate the office of Chairman of the Commission which is being occupied unconstitutionally.” We publish a full text of the letter below.
Re: Notification of the expiry of your Tenure of Office As member of Independent Electoral Commission
We the undersigned, being the representatives of registered political parties in the Gambia, namely, GMC, GPDP, NADD, PDOIS, PPP and The UDP have been struck by the statement of the Vice Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission that you have been appointed on 15 October 2011 to serve as Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission for a period of 7 years. It is noted that since this statement was uttered in reply to a question raised by an Elections Observer from the AU you have not issued any statement to rebut the misinformation conveyed to such an important guest of the Commission who is here in the Gambia to gather facts regarding the whole electoral process. It goes without saying that, if we the stakeholders also keep quiet we would be aides and abettors of Unconstitutional behaviour by giving credence to the statement of the Vice Chairman of the Commission, which contradicts the letter and spirit of Section 42 Subsection 4 of the 1997 Constitution.
The provision reads:
“Subject to the provisions of this section, the members of the Commission shall be appointed for a period of seven years and may be re-appointed for one further term:
Provided that three of the first members (who shall be chosen by lot) shall be appointed for lesser periods than seven years in order to provide continuity within the Commission.”
It is evident that the first members of the Commission could serve less than two seven year terms but none could serve more than a maximum of two seven year terms. Mr. Carayol you are on record claiming that you have been with the Independent Electoral Commission since its inception in 1997. The AU observers may have visited your web site and could have read the biography regarding your tenure of office with the Independent Electoral Commission.
The following is an extract from the Website:
“Mr. Alhaji Mustapha L. Carayol – Chairman
“He is a retired Head of Aneasthesia at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, the largest hospital in the country situated in the capital city, Banjul. He did his training and [housemanship] in Ghana. He was among the pioneers of the PIEC and he transitioned to the IEC.
He was officially elected from amongst the Members to be the Vice Chairman of the Commission from 2000 to 2006. Due to his expertise and dedication to duty, he was appointed Chairman of the Commission in July 2006. He has a wealth of experience in elections which is exemplified by the numerous conferences and seminars he has participated in and the numerous elections he had observed notably among which is the historic 2008 US elections. He has been awarded with the Order of the Republic of the Gambia by the President of the Republic of the Gambia.”
The pictures hanging in your conference room, the annual reports of the Independent Electoral Commission which are required to be submitted to the National Assembly, starting with the 1997 to 1998 report provide material evidence that you have been a member of the Commission since its inauguration in 1997 and only an incompetent Government would have allowed you to be in office for more than seven years without an appointment letter. Needless to say you could not have served a second seven year term without an appointment letter to that effect.
In our view, if you had received a letter of appointment on 15 October to serve for a further term of seven years you would have been given an unconstitutional mandate to serve for a third term. Only an incompetent Government would be guilty of such a travesty of the rule of law. Moreover, even if you are appointed out of ignorance you should have pointed out the mistake and vacate office honourably on the day and calendar month on which your second seven year term expires in accordance with Section 42 of the Constitution.
In this regard, we demand that the letter and spirit of Section 42 of the Constitution be respected and implore you to vacate the office of Chairman of the Commission which is being occupied unconstitutionally.
By a copy of this letter, we wish to alert the Executive, the Judicial Service Commission and the Public Service Commission and all stakeholders, accordingly.
Gambia Moral Congress
Gambia Party For Development and Progress
National Alliance for Democracy and Development
People’s Progressive Party
People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism
United Democratic Party
c.c. President of the Republic of The Gambia
Attorney General and Minister of Justice
Chairman, Judicial Service Commission
Chairman, Public Service Commission
Other Stakeholders" |
Edited by - kobo on 06 Apr 2012 00:44:36 |
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