Issued Tuesday 28 March 2017
Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) Chairman Alieu Momarr Njai has appealed to all
political parties to recruit suitable polling agents.
He
made this appeal Saturday during the Training of Trainers session for the
National Assembly Election slated for 6 April.
The
training is under way at the Paradise Suites Hotel, Kololi.
Chairman
Njai said political parties should recruit agents who are able to read,
complete forms and follow simple instructions.
Party
polling agents should be interested in the electoral process, uphold team work
and be knowledgeable about the community in which they will be working on
polling day.
Political
parties are essential for both the emergence and consolidation of democracy, he
said: “Some of the imperative functions performed by political parties are to
represent the people and articulate their demands, reconcile diverse needs and
aspirations that exist within society, interpret them into manageable
programmes, and structure electoral choice.”
The
IEC chair said the paramount things among what political parties should do at
this point in time is to sensitize their followers on their agendas, and they
should continue to preach peace and accept the election results.
He
said it is incumbent on them to advocate for massive voter turnout and, by
performing this wide variety of functions, political parties find themselves as
drivers of democracy.
In
her remarks at the opening ceremony of the training course, Isatou
Jallow-Ndure, IEC commissioner and the returning officer for Banjul, said
elections are very important in any democratic society, as Election Day is when
individuals in a country exercise their rights and opportunity to participate
in public affairs.
Jallow-Ndure
also said elections like any major activities and guidelines, have two basic
activities: the participation of individual legitimate voters at the polling
station, and the act of voting by casting the ballot in the drum.
“I
am appealing to political parties to sensitize their party agents, to know what
their role and functions are during polling day, and all presiding officers
must cooperate with agents because they have an important role to play. He/she must not allow them to take full
control, distract or interfere in the polling process,” he said.
Commissioner
Jallow said that to ensure there is peaceful election, the political candidates
and parties should respect the rights and freedom of other parties and
candidates, adding that on this important national day respect should be shown
to all the electorate and all those participating in the election.
