By Lamin B. Darboe
The President of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) Imam Muhammed Lamin Touray vowed to hold onto power at June 15, national congress and election of GSIC.
“Even, we conduct National Congress and election, we will remain in office,” he said in an exclusive interview on Sunday, saying that lack of funds encumbers the conduct of the council’s congress and election.
Imam Touray disclosed that D600, 000.00 is the budgets needed to fund the congress and election.
“We wrote a letter to the office of the President, Islamic Republics of Qatar and Kuwait to assists with funding of the congress and election but we are yet to receive reply from them,” he added.
Quizzed, on why his council members are not officially responding to people calling on them to conduct elections? “We will not respond to them because we are more concern to hold election than those people who are advocating for GSIC election”.
Responding to Imam Touray’s comments, Majmou Atou Rawdatul Majaalis, public relation officer (PRO) Abubacarr Jabbie quizzed GSIC President Touray why they will remain in power even if they conducted election?
He observed that, ‘if the GSIC executive members to continue remain in the affairs of the council based on nothing would tantamount to serious repercussion.’
“Let me call on Government especially the office of the Religious Affairs under the office of the President to thoroughly monitor the council and make sure free and fair congress and elections is conducted in an atmosphere of transparency, fair play, impartiality in order for the peace to prevail in the country,” Jabbie pointed out.
He challenged that GSIC should not be control by few individuals in the country, noting that it was set-up for the entire Gambian Muslim Ummah to promote and propagate Islamic religion in the country.
“It is now clear to all Gambians within and outside the country that the current executive members whose term of office expired six months ago under Muhamed Lamin Touray want to take the ownership of the council by-force,” PRO Jabbie stated.
He said the entire membership of the Majmou Atou Rawdatul Majaalis and all Majlis sects in the country denounced Touray’s remarks that they will remain in power even if they conducted elections.
He described SIC President’s remark as a premature one and Touray is showing his council members real intention to Gambians which is to rig the process for them to stay in power as African dictators do.
PRO Abubacarr Jabbie also refutes accusation from certain quarters that their Islamic organization is a rebel group, thus explained that all those who are saying that are Islamic fanatics.
