By Mama A. Touray
Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), Honorable HalifaSallah, on Wednesday, said the upcoming local government election is not an ordinary election.
Speaking to the media in a press briefing held at the PDOIS political bureau in Churchill’s Town, he divulged that “We have said that the local government election constitutes the third and final face of the electoral cycle which commences with the presidential election of 2021, NA election of 2022 and local government election of 2023, and this is not an ordinary election.
“Today many countries in Gambia’s sub-region are no longer talking about the election as an election is a manifestation of the permanents of the power of the people and the chancelleries of the power of representatives.
Hon Sallah Continued that “It is the time for the people to go back to the drawing board, they are the architects of our own destiny as they control it and power belongs to them and that is why periodically those elected must come back to them and they may choose whoever they so desire to put them in positions of public trust.”
However, he added that peace is inconceivable without the consolidation of the power and authority of the people and that authority should not be subverted in any way through intimidation or patronage otherwise it cannot be expressed freely.
Meanwhile, Sallah said Gambians have come to the point where they know what belongs to them, the authority to decide who to manage their affairs, and in doing so all public officials, political representatives party leaders, and their respective party members are committed to the principle of free fair and genuine elections.
“We wish at the end of this campaign all candidates will say they have campaigned freely and without any intimidation or restriction and in casting their votes we also would want the record to be clear that people went to vote without any inducement or intimidation and we would want finally after the counting of the votes all to access that it reflects the undiluted choice of the people this is how the Gambia can be an example to the rest of the world.”
