By: Amadou Bah
Alieu Momar Njai, Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that his office has received 30 requests from Gambian for political party registration and process ahead of 2021 election year.
Speaking during an oversight visit of the Select Committee on Local Government, Lands, IEC and Ombudsman of the National Assembly visit to the IEC head office along Bertil Harding Highway on Monday, 13 May, 2019 the IEC Chairman said because of the new dispensation now his office is expecting more new political parties coming to register their political parties.
He said currently Gambia has 10 registered political parties and one is banned and “we are expecting 5 to 10 new political parties before 2021 Election year,” he disclosed. He noted that election cannot be same or as usual like before in The Gambia.
Among their plans, he disclosed their plan to match both Presidential and parliamentary elections together and mayoral, Chairperson and councilors together in next election. However he said in other to do that the country has to move from ballot drums system of voting to ballot paper system of voting. This he said have to change in the country’s system of voting in next election because of democratic, transparent, free and fair election.
He stated further that the country cannot go for election with this old election law. “The election law must be change or amended before we go for next election” Njai said.
To realize this, he said IEC need resources and funds while he revealed to the select committee that IEC already met the Minister of Finance and he promised that government is willing to give them all they need in order to do their work.”
He disclose among their plans is to go round the whole country to meet the chiefs, local representatives of all various political parties as well as Gambian living in and outside the country with the intention of getting everybody involve in the next electoral cycle.
