Gambia For All (GFA), an opposition party, has launched a fresh blame on President Barrow and his administration over the slow process of voter registration.
“The Barrow administration has woefully failed to provide adequate and timely support to IEC’s activities, including importantly, extending voting rights to hundreds of thousands of Gambians in the Diaspora, a right in The Gambian Constitution, that the GFA party Leader and concerned Gambians have brought before the Supreme court of the land and had a ruling in their favour,” a statement signed by the party leader Bakary Bunja Darboe said.
“However, a greater share of the blame has to be laid at the door of the IEC. Whether by design or incompetence, it is not acceptable that equipment made for the purpose of voter registration under the Gambian tropical climate are frequently overheating, and thereby delaying the limited time available for registration. As stress, ware and tare increase, we must expect more frequent machine downtime due to overheating. What will this mean for Gambians who would want to register, but could not do so? IEC must provide them with answers,” the statement added.
The party said it is seriously “concerned about the disorganized manner in which this important exercise is being conducted.” It said “after preparations lasting over four years, with millions of dollars of taxpayers money spent, the first week of voter registration has only given us frustrating long queues, broken-down registration machines, confusion about whether mayors can or cannot attest document for registration, allegations of ferrying in of voters from neighbouring countries, and pictures of what looks like minors waiting in queues to be registered for voting.
“GFA will be keenly observing to discern a pattern to this frustrating scenario, and will draw appropriate conclusions as regards the whole registration process, the subsequent election integrity, and will decide what actions if any, to take going forward,” it concluded.