By: Nyima Sillah
The Gambian electorates have been urged to take the upcoming parliamentary and local government elections seriously thus it will impact their lives for the next five years.
The Gambia will go to the polls again in April 2022 to elect their National Assembly members, mayors and councilors, who will steer the affairs of their constituencies for a five-year term.
Speaking during Peace Ambassadors Meeting with Civil Society Organizations to reflect on the past presidential elections at Metzy Hotel, Momodou Juju Jallow, Program Manager Peace Ambassador of the Gambia advised Gambians to take the upcoming parliamentary elections seriously.
“Presidential election is important but parliamentary elections too are more important because these are people that will decide for our future and everything. If we elect them, we can account them directly so it is important,” he said.
According to him, parliament is one key body that is very important in terms of making policies, decisions, and constitutions, adding that all laws pass through them including the national budgets.
“The people that are going to be elected should know that they are there to represent their constituencies. Let it not be like I just want to be a parliamentarian like what is happening, people are there but they don’t know their responsibilities. We should select sober persons who can decide for us and they will not just go there because of their parties,” he added.
He called the youth of the country to participate in the parliamentary elections, take responsibility, and move on because the future of the country lies in the hands of the youth. Adding that, it is going to be very disheartening for a 60-year old man to decide the future of a 25-year-old.
“The plans we put in place for the parliamentary elections is to go for advocacy and tell the general public how important is the parliamentary elections including the Mayoral because advocacy is one key tool. We normally make sure that people understand issues and also not to vote based on tribes or nepotism instead, let them vote for the person they think can able to bring development and peace in their constituencies,” he said.
Also, he continued, by next month the team will start house-to-house advocacy then they will have some caravan going around sensitizing people in the communities, PAG also discussed with the Civil Society Organizations regarding the lessons learned from the past elections and find ways in trying to mitigate the issues and collaborate in the future elections.