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Momodou
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 Posted - 12 Jan 2008 : 22:49:39
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IEC Express Preparedness for Local Gov’t Elections
By Isatou Bittaye
The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Mr. Mustapha Carayol, has said that his institution is fully prepared for the Local Government Elections, scheduled for 24 January 2008. Speaking at a briefing on Monday, 7 January, Mustapha L. Carayol said the conference is meant to inform all stakeholders of his institution’s resolve to conduct free, fair and transparent Local Government Elections on January 24, 2008. Mr. Carayol said the commission organized workshops in October, 2007 on the theme “Strengthening the electoral process of The Gambia” and invited all stakeholders in the electoral process to participate.
He added that the workshop promoted comprehensive participation in the forthcoming Local Government Elections from all strata of society. Mr. Carayol said preparations are in their final stages for the conduct of Local Government Elections and all voters are advised to contact their respective IEC regional offices to verify that their names are on the voters’ list.
He added that the IEC has embarked on a voter education exercise which will go on till 23 January 2008. He said the required materials for the smooth conduct of the elections are with the commission and they are being distributed to all the regional officers responsible for the areas where the elections will be contested. Mr. Carayol noted that interviews of polling staff are being conducted. He said employees of the commission must be non-partisan and transparent.
He said training of trainers will be conducted on 12 and 13 January 2008 and a decentalised training of polling staff will be at the administrative areas on 19, 20 and 21 January 2008. He added that the training will equip the polling staff with the information necessary to conduct successful, free and fair elections. He said the IEC has also invited both local and international observers and that the main idea for election observation is to give credibility to the results of the elections.
He said a briefing session will be conducted for the election observers in order to give them necessary information for the elections.
Mr. Carayol indicated that campaign will start on 9 January and will end on 22 January, 2008. He said the IEC is urging all players in the political arena to comply with the election campaign ethics.
He urged all registered Gambians to exercise their constitutional right and vote for their candidate of choice in the elections. In responding to a question on whether the IEC Basket Fund will support all the party agents, such as in the previous elections, Mr. Carayol responded that all party agents will be supported and each will be paid D100.00. He said they also have plans to decentralise polling stations in future. Mr. Carayol added that all parties will be given equal access to the public media and any party or candidate who has the fund can pay for extra coverage in the media. He said counting of ballot tokens will be held at the various constituencies. On the issue of vehicles with numberless plates during the campaign period, the Police Superintendent attached to the IEC, Mr. Fadera, said that the practice is against the law and that it will be taken care of by the Police.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No 004/2007, 9 - 10 January 2008
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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