|
Momodou
Denmark
11723 Posts |
 Posted - 21 Apr 2010 : 18:17:24
|
Imam Alleges Electoral Fraud at Islamic Council
By Sanna Camara & Kebba Y. Drammeh
The current executive members of the country’s Supreme Islamic Council have been elected in a fraudulent electoral process at the Council’s last congress that saw Imam Banding Drammeh transfer powers to Imam Momodou Lamin Touray, according to Imam Ba Kawsu Fofana.
Speaking to The Daily News in an interview, Imam Ba Kawsu said following his expression of interest in contesting the said elections, it was himself and Banding Drammeh (former President) who clearly stood out as contenders. "Many of the people supported my candidacy than Banding’s – including Imam Momodou Lamin Touray (current Chair)."
He said his house-to-house campaign strategy took him to most of the homes of SIC top brass: "I remember my meeting with Momodou Lamin Touray went up to 1 O’ Clock a.m. but when he found out that Banding was withdrawing his candidacy, they withdrew their support. It was then that they changed the constitution to allow for fresh registration of those qualified to vote in the congress."
He said the Council thereupon instituted a "last minute registration exercise" that made sure most of those registered would vote for them, while most of those in support of him wouldn’t have qualified. He said new cards were issued with back-dates to months and even years before the material time, while his letter to the Council regarding his candidacy to contest dated 30 days before the Congress.
"I was the sole contender against Banding and we (I and Banding) campaigned countrywide. It is they (the Council members) who agreed to think their way after they realized Banding was withdrawing. It allowed [them] to take over and man the key positions in the Executive – nine plus the Presidency, making it ten. But because my candidacy was disqualified, all other positions went unopposed. They could have had a well-contested-election, but no; they chose to do it their way," he said.
Imam Ba Kawsu further said that everyone knows that "Ba Kawsu does not preach to please anybody neither is he against anybody. All my teachings are based on the Quran and the Hadith, and that I will keep to." He added that the question of sighting the moon has been part and parcel of his preaching for over two decades: "That is a continuous process which is not aimed at disagreeing with the SIC. What they (SIC) did too is not against me but Allah’s teachings – banning me from preaching on state radio or asking muslins to observe the Eid Prayers on wrong dates are all against Allah’s teachings – not me.
He emphasized that the Gambia cannot observe the Tobaski or Koriteh Prayers along with Saudi Arabia on the same date. "This can only be done when we sight the crescent (moon) at the same time. And that unfortunately, cannot be the case due to our differences in geographical and other factors. If the SIC wants to change the Eids, they have to change the whole Islamic Calendar. Sighting of the moon usually occurs on the 29th day of the month for us here. At this time of ours, Mecca is already starting a new month. It is for this reason that we cannot go along with them."
Source: Dailynews
|
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
|
Topic Locked
.
