One-time ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party critic and now Governor of the Lower River Region, Lamin Waa Juwara, has urged electorate across the country to be cautious about how to go with the forthcoming National Assembly elections, stressing that Gambians want candidates wanted by the people.
Juwara, who was speaking in an interview with this paper Wednesday, said the people of his region are getting ready for the polls, and that intending candidates are going round to talk to the electorate as the polls draw closer.
With its eyes set on the three opposition strongholds in the Lower River Region, notably the districts of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central all in the hands of the opposition UDP, Waa believes the selection committee of the ruling APRC should go by the wishes of the people even though they have already got their loyalty.
“This is very important, because it is the people who decide on who they want,” he said.
Commenting on the prospects of the opposition in the forthcoming polls, Juwara said the Gambian electorate will further demonstrate their loyalty to the APRC party by voting massively for all its candidates in all the constituencies.
“If we can make President Jammeh win in all the constituencies in the presidential election last year, I don’t see any reason why we should not vote in all the APRC candidates in all the constituencies,” he added.
The constituencies of Kiang West, Kiang Central and Jarra Central have, since the advent of the July 22nd Revolution in 1994, been key opposition strongholds, until recently when they voted massively for President Jammeh in the presidential election last year.
“We will overturn the opposition, and give them yet another heavy defeat,” Juwara said, adding further that come 29th March, the APRC will win all the seats in parliament.
The Independent Electoral Commission has announced that it will conduct elections for the National Assembly on 29th March 2011.
The Commission said that nomination of candidates will take place at the IEC regional offices across the country from Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th March 2012.
Campaigning, according to a press release, will commence on Wednesday 14th March and end on Tuesday 27th March 2012.
It is worth noting that out of a total of 53 seats in the country’s National Assembly, the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction has 47 of which 5 are MPs nominated by the President.
The opposition United Democratic Party has only four seats, while the National Alliance for Democracy and Development has one seat, and one seat is held by an independent candidate.
