Following Sacking of Dawda Manneh, IEC Announces Date for By-election

The Independent Electoral Commission yesterday announced that it will conduct a National Assembly By-election for the Nianija constituency in the Central River Region on Thursday 18th December 2008.

According to a news release from the Independent Electoral Commission, this is in accordance with section 91 subsection 1 (d) and subsection 3 of the 1997 constitution of the Republic of the Gambia.

This follows the expulsion of Mr. Dawda Manneh, the erstwhile National Assembly Member for the said constituency from the ruling APRC party in whose ticket was elected to the National assembly.

Mr. Dawda Manneh, readers would recalled was arrested on Saturday 13th September 2008 together with one Demba Baldeh, an ex-soldier now working as a Security Guard at the Central Bank for allegedly trying to smuggle a large quantity of cannabis sativa, locally called jamba.