By Binta Jaiteh
Alhagie Mbaye Jeng, an 81-year-old man, and a retired civil servant has implored President Adama Barrow and Gambian Imams to engage the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) over the upcoming local government elections to be postponed till after Ramadan as a matter of urgency.
Having him on this medium, Alhagie M Jeng said President Barrow is the Head of State and his interference in this matter will have an impact and also the Imams who play a crucial role in society and Islam at large.
“IEC should reconsider conducting the upcoming Local Government Elections after Ramadan because this month is a Holy Month and even many people are always exhausted because of the fasting,” he stated.
The Imams and Supreme Islamic Council should take this as a great task and responsibility noting that the month of Ramadan is an important month to every Muslim so it is important to make the best use of it rather than associating it with other issues.
According to him, it is better to postpone the election during this period “because we all know that fasting and dancing are prohibited Islamically during fasting and there is no how you will campaign or win an election without noise, dancing, singing, and drumming or jubilate.”
He added that if the election is postponed and rescheduled “many people will come out in large numbers to vote without any complaints and even that will favor the politicians and the electorates.”
However, he stressed that this should be a collective responsibility of everyone, this period is a month of blessings.
