By Mama A. Touray
Sambujang Njie, Chief executive officer at the Independent Electoral Commission has, on Thursday, 19th January disclosed the dates for the Councillorship, Mayor, and Chairmanship election.
Speaking at the stakeholder dialogue meeting held at OIC, Sambujang Njie said “issuing of nomination forms starts on 15th February 2023, at the IEC regional electoral offices and forms are to be issued only in the IEC regional offices in which the wards are located and Nomination starts 14th to 27th March 2023 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm each day.”
He noted that to qualify for the position, an applicant must be a citizen and this will be determined by their birth certificate, passport, or National identity card, not less than 21 years, and a registered voter.
“The person must be an ordinary resident in the local government area for an aggregate of at least twelve months before the election and able to speak English,” he said.
The IEC CEO added that the candidate must have made a declaration of his or her assets, pays all taxes and rates, or make satisfactory arrangement (income and tax certificate) with a deposit of D1,250 with seventy-five signatories of registered voters to support his or her nomination and a leave of absence for one year from the employer for public servants.
He stated that the following will disqualify a candidate :an unsound mind, sentenced to death or imprisonment for fraud, dishonesty, or violence, offences relating to an election (but qualified after ten years of the end of the sentence) exempted from paying rates, a member of the discipline force and a member of the National Assembly.
He continued that “a district chief or Alkalo except pursuant to section 11 subsection 1 paragraph section 11(1) (C), an undischarged bankrupt, a person holding judicial office, member of IEC, not elected for more than three times, not nominated for more than two times and not a member for more than one council”
“The public or viewers must produce a voter’s card before they are allowed to enter in to scrutinize any paper, the decision on observations or objections will match in accordance with the relevant laws (election Act and Constitution)” he emphasized.
He also said the Campaign reconciliation will begin from 28th to 30th March 2023, and it will be done with the candidate’s representative, or candidates themselves while adding that candidates are urged not to conduct campaigns close to each other, venues close to highways and to avoid clashes when going to or from the rally.
“Campaign date is slated 31 March to 13th April 2023, 14th April cooling off day. Approval of political party committee’s rallies application in addition to candidates’ campaigns and urged no to use other political party materials,” he concluded.