Elections into Gambia’s 53-seat National Assembly kicked off slowly in a generally peaceful atmosphere on Thursday 6th April 2017 with some 870,000 registered voters casting their ballots in the 1,422 polling stations nationwide.
Prof. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Head of the ECOWAS 20-member Election Observation Mission, who had visited some 13 polling stations in Central Banjul by 12 noon, expressed his satisfaction with the smooth and peaceful exercise and the commitment of Gambian voters.
Other members of the ECOWAS observation mission are deployed across the country, including the Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security, Mrs. Halima Ahmed, ECOWAS Permanent Representative to the Gambia Ms Vabah Gayflor, the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Remi Ajibewa and Head of Electoral Division Mr. Francis Oke.
In accordance with the electoral law, polling started at 8 am local time with electoral staff already at the polling centres before 7 am with electoral materials including the polling drums.
A handful of voters and political party agents were already on ground by the time Prof. Afari-Gyan, former Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, and his team arrived at the Banjul City Council polling stations by 7am.
Polling officials and party agents spoke about low voter turn-out, when compared with the 1st December 2016 Presidential poll, a situation they said had to do with insufficient sensitisation and voter education on the importance of parliamentary and local government elections.
The same trend was reported in many parts of the country with Mr. Joseph Colley, Commissioner for Training and Communication at The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (EIC), saying “it shows that we still have some work to do in terms of civic and voter education.”
But despite the reported low turn-out at the early stage of balloting, ECOWAS observers noted a high sense of duty, enthusiasm and commitment exhibited by some Gambian voters, especially the elderly.
For instance, wheel-chair bound Aji Haddy Secka, 90, was able to cast her vote at the Banjul Mini Stadium polling station assisted by her daughters.
Also, 80-year-old visually challenged Aji Samba was among the 85 of 445 registered voters who had cast their ballots by 11.45 am, when ECOWAS observers visited the Odeon Cinema polling station.
Some 238 candidates from nine political parties and independents are contesting 48 available seats in Gambia’s 53-seat Parliament. The President, under the constitution will appoint the remaining five members.
Gambia’s peculiar voting method involves the use of glass marbles as ballot paper and metal drums as ballot boxes. For the parliamentary polls, the ruling coalition of seven political parties is presenting individual candidates and each party candidate and independent has his/her picture on a metal drum.
On presenting their voter’s card, a registered voter is given a glass marble to cast his/her vote in secret, by throwing the marble in the metal drum, which has sand deposited on the base. The bell-sound of the marble against the drum indicates that voting has taken place. The aim of the sand is to avoid confusion which could arise from multiple sound of the marble against the metal drum and also to avoid fraud.
This was the same system used by the IEC during the 1st December 2016 election that brought President Adama Barrow’s opposition party to power after 22 years of the administration of former President Yahya Jammeh, now exiled in Equatorial Guinea.
Friday, April 7, 2017
GAMBIANS VOTE FOR THEIR PARLIAMENTARIANS IN A PEACEFUL ELECTION
Elections into Gambia’s 53-seat National Assembly kicked off slowly in a generally peaceful atmosphere on Thursday 6th April 2017 with some 870,000 registered voters casting their ballots in the 1,422 polling stations nationwide.
Prof. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Head of the ECOWAS 20-member Election Observation Mission, who had visited some 13 polling stations in Central Banjul by 12 noon, expressed his satisfaction with the smooth and peaceful exercise and the commitment of Gambian voters.
Other members of the ECOWAS observation mission are deployed across the country, including the Commissioner for Political Affairs Peace and Security, Mrs. Halima Ahmed, ECOWAS Permanent Representative to the Gambia Ms Vabah Gayflor, the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Remi Ajibewa and Head of Electoral Division Mr. Francis Oke.
In accordance with the electoral law, polling started at 8 am local time with electoral staff already at the polling centres before 7 am with electoral materials including the polling drums.
A handful of voters and political party agents were already on ground by the time Prof. Afari-Gyan, former Chairman of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, and his team arrived at the Banjul City Council polling stations by 7am.
Polling officials and party agents spoke about low voter turn-out, when compared with the 1st December 2016 Presidential poll, a situation they said had to do with insufficient sensitisation and voter education on the importance of parliamentary and local government elections.
The same trend was reported in many parts of the country with Mr. Joseph Colley, Commissioner for Training and Communication at The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (EIC), saying “it shows that we still have some work to do in terms of civic and voter education.”
But despite the reported low turn-out at the early stage of balloting, ECOWAS observers noted a high sense of duty, enthusiasm and commitment exhibited by some Gambian voters, especially the elderly.
For instance, wheel-chair bound Aji Haddy Secka, 90, was able to cast her vote at the Banjul Mini Stadium polling station assisted by her daughters.
Also, 80-year-old visually challenged Aji Samba was among the 85 of 445 registered voters who had cast their ballots by 11.45 am, when ECOWAS observers visited the Odeon Cinema polling station.
Some 238 candidates from nine political parties and independents are contesting 48 available seats in Gambia’s 53-seat Parliament. The President, under the constitution will appoint the remaining five members.
Gambia’s peculiar voting method involves the use of glass marbles as ballot paper and metal drums as ballot boxes. For the parliamentary polls, the ruling coalition of seven political parties is presenting individual candidates and each party candidate and independent has his/her picture on a metal drum.
On presenting their voter’s card, a registered voter is given a glass marble to cast his/her vote in secret, by throwing the marble in the metal drum, which has sand deposited on the base. The bell-sound of the marble against the drum indicates that voting has taken place. The aim of the sand is to avoid confusion which could arise from multiple sound of the marble against the metal drum and also to avoid fraud.
This was the same system used by the IEC during the 1st December 2016 election that brought President Adama Barrow’s opposition party to power after 22 years of the administration of former President Yahya Jammeh, now exiled in Equatorial Guinea.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
ECOWAS ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION URGES PEACEFUL PARLIAMENTARY VOTE IN THE GAMBIA
The Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to The Gambia, Prof. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has appealed to all political stakeholders to ensure that the country’s April 6 Parliamentary elections are held in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity so as to consolidate the gains of democracy in the country and the region.
Speaking at a press conference in Banjul, the nation’s capital on Tuesday 3rd April 2017, the Head of the ECOWAS 20-member mission commended the Gambian Government and people for the reasonably peaceful atmosphere prevailing in the country and expressed the hope that the positive trend would be sustained during and after the National Assembly polls.
“ECOWAS is here to observe the parliamentary elections as further demonstration of its commitment to accompany and support the Government and people of the New Gambia in the country’s political progress and development for the benefit of all,” declared Prof. Afari-Gyan, who also led an ECOWAS needs assessment mission to the country last February. This was in the aftermath of the December 2016 Presidential election, won by the opposition party after 22 years of the administration of former President Yahya Jammeh, now exiled in Equatorial Guinea.
The ECOWAS election observation mission deployed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission H.E. Marcel de Souza, in consonance with the regional Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, is supported by the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Mrs. Halima Ahmed, the ECOWAS Permanent Representative in the Gambia Mrs. Vabah Gayflor, the Director of Political Affairs, Dr. Remi Ajibewa and the Head of the Electoral Assistance Division (EAD), Mr. Francis Oke.
Prof. Afari-Gyan assured that the ECOWAS observation mission would be impartial and its findings made public, while reminding all stakeholders including the political parties, the candidates and their supporters, the government, the electoral Commission and the security agencies about the need to work together for peace in the interest of the nation.
He recalled that ECOWAS-led efforts, supported by the international community, had facilitated the peaceful transfer of power after the December presidential election.
“There is the need to sustain the momentum and consolidate the gains,” he said, adding: “This would only be possible with the support and cooperation of all Gambians.”
Commissioner Ahmed said that ECOWAS could not observe the presidential election due to the circumstances at the time and in compliance with its normative instruments on democracy and good governance. But she explained that the Commission and regional leaders have remained engaged with stakeholders to accompany the Gambia on the path of progress and democratisation.
She noted that the Commission’s President de Souza has paid a solidarity visit to the Gambia, while the ECOWAS military Mission, ECOMIG, deployed to the Gambia following the post-election tension is still in the country providing the necessary security support. ECOWAS has also upgraded its Bureau in the Gambia to Ambassadorial status.
According to Prof. Afari-Gyan, “ECOWAS’ overarching objective of regional integration and economic development is the responsibility of all the community citizens, and we are confident that Gambians will continue to play their part towards the realisation of ECOWAS 2020 Vision for transformation from an ECOWAS of State to an ECOWAS of people.”
Some 238 candidates from nine political parties and independents are vying for positions in the Gambia’s 53-seat National Assembly in the 6 April elections.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) registered 886,547 voters for the elections from the country’s estimated 1.9 million people. There are 1.422 polling stations across the 53 constituencies nationwide.
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