By: Lamin B. Darboe
Members of the Rawdatul Majaalis has urged has urged the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) under the presidency of Alhaji Muhamed Lamin Touray to be transparent to the Muslim Ummah in the country especially when it comes to electing or re-electing into office new executive members.
Cadi Abdoulie Kanteh, challenged the Council members not to conduct congress and elections without going through the right procedure of the election Act.
“If members of the GSIC conducted both the congress and elections without going through the proper channel, it means GSIC are doing things on their own just to make the Council a “Club of Friends,” Kanteh stated.
According to Kanteh, for members of the GSIC to delay the announcement of the congress and elections means they have a hiding agenda which they want to pursue during elections.
Public Relations Office (PRO), Rawdatul Majaalis, Abubakarr Jabbie called on GSIC executive to come up with a press release that would call on people who are interested in executive positions to forward their names to the secretariat with a stipulated deadline.
He suggested to GSIC executive members to issue ID card to all Muslims in the country so that Council would not be described as a Council that belongs to few individuals.
PRO Jabbie said what Gambian Muslims need at Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is “System Change” instead of seeing the institution being monopolized by few individuals whose interest is to clinch onto power forever.
“We are aware that plans are in pipeline for GSIC to organize both congress and elections next month and no announcement is yet to made by them (the Council members) concerning the process , meaning they are up-to something unlawful,” Jabbie informed.
“The entire Gambia Supreme Islamic Council executive members need to declare position vacant before the congress,” he said.
Jabbie said what is urgent at GSIC currently is electoral reform and country-wide sensitization about how congress and election be conducted but instead they (GSIC members) are doing their things without consulting Gambian Muslims.
Rawdatul Majaalis Organizer, Lamin Marrie reminded that the first election conducted by the GSIC was in 1992 where all Imams and Majaalis sects in the country participated except some Arabic Scholars.
“Why not allow the same system to continue rather than choosing executive and regional representatives to be the only legible candidates to vote during Council elections,” Marrie querried.