#Editorial

Good Morning Mr. President: On access to information, IEC!

Aug 30, 2021, 11:56 AM

Mr. President last Tuesday Government's Spokesman Ebrima G Sankareh disclosed to West Coast Radio that three aircraft of former President Yahya Jammeh were sold in 2019 at 500,000 U.S. Dollars equivalent to 25 million Dalasi.

The announcement came late because it should have been announced that same year to notify the public for transparency and government should have clarified the use of the money since it’s tax payers money.

Mr. President, during the sittings of the Janneh Commission, it was reported that Jammeh got four aircraft, where is the remaining one hence only 3 were sold? It was also reported that Jammeh got about​ 300 properties and some were sold. It will be good to inform the public about what happened to these properties.​ How many of them were sold and how much was generated, all for the sake of transparency and what is the state also doing with the remaining properties?

Mr. President, last week, you signed the Access to Information Bill into law. Media practitioners through the Gambia Press Union, and the Civil Society Coalition all commended you for signing into law the access to Information Bill after it was passed by the National Assembly on 1 July 2021.

GPU pointed out that signing the bill is a fulfillment of your government's campaign promise and demonstration of your political will and commitment to transparency and accountability. There should not be any secrets on the state fairs now.​

Finally Mr. President, IEC should revisit rules and regulations for presidential candidates for December 4th 2021 polls in ​which 18 political parties and many independent candidates intend to contest for the top job in this tiny west African country with less than one million voters.​
With the 18 parties, majority of them are newly formed.​ This tells us a lot in our political dispensation that we need to create new political ideologies. 

Is it that Gambians don’t believe in the current political dispensation being led by these political leaders? or is it time to strategise through all these political aspirants? In that way The Gambia needs to be positioned going forward. Many people said these new political parties don't have political basis and don’t have followers.​ It is barely three months to election for them to sell their political Ideology to electorates. Are they yearning for a position in government? Is it a cheque book politics to earn money during the campaign? Are they confronting or decoy status from some big parties where they could make a deal to split the votes.

Well, the December 4th polls will tell.

Good day!