The chairman of IEC, Alhagie Mustapha Carayol, recently discussed with District chiefs in Lower River Region about the forthcoming local government elections.
Chairman Carayol described his ongoing nationwide tour as part of his efforts to satisfy the hopes of the electorate in gaining the right voter education, ahead of the local government election, slated for 4th April 2013.
“I have done it before and I am doing it again,” he said, while stressing the significance of proper voter education.
“We at the IEC understand it as a serious duty on our end to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in the country. This is why we think that it’s the duty of the chiefs to be sensitised to be able to communicate to various village heads in their districts and then to the villagers,” he said.
He implored on chiefs to carry to their localities the message that local government election is the foundation of democracy, in which the elected representatives have important role to play in the local governance system.
The governor of Lower River Region, Lamin Darboe, who hosted the meeting, used the opportunity to brief the chiefs in his region on the important role of the local council.
According to him, it is the responsibility of the councillors to provide public facilities, such as markets, streetlights, toilets, parks and cemeteries.
The chiefs referred to their meeting with the IEC chairman as timely in view of their need for knowledge to reach their people.
“The message will surely reach our people at all cost,” said Alhagie Yahya Jarjusey, Chief of Jarra West.
He outlined that the involvement of chiefs in the IEC’s voter education campaign ahead of the local government election will complement the effort of the Mansakonko election authority in the successful conduct of the election.
