#Editorial

GOOD MORNING  PRESIDENT: On IEC and fuel shortage

Nov 8, 2021, 12:16 PM

Mr President the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has done so far a good job by letting a public scrutiny of the 26 aspirants who took forms in which 15 were disqualified five withdrew and six confirmed to have met the criteria.

Gambians through your leadership should be commended for bringing back democracy after 22 years of dictatorship and tyranny.

Therefore, the focus now is going to be the campaigns which will start tomorrow, Tuesday 9 November 2021 until 2 December 2021.

Candidates and supporters should preach and pray for peace. God has already selected the winner.

During the campaign, hate speech, insults baseless allegations should be avoided.

The state media should give fair coverage to all the candidates; NAWEC should ensure reliable

electricity in the evening to allow people to watch the rallies.

Mr. President, candidates should know that The Gambia is bigger than all of us. We should nurture peace and ensure democracy, which does not mean hatred or disrespecting people and their opinions. This seems to be the order of the day social media with inflammatory remarks.

Candidates should sell their manifestos and what they would do for Gambians when elected December on 4th.

Mr. President, we need good roads, reliable electricity and water improved the health sector so that patients would no longer go overseas, facilities in the education system. There should be plans for the Diaspora because they are playing key roles in the economy by sending 530 million US Dollars per annum to help them to get lands to build attractive houses.

Mr. President, draconian media laws should be scrapped, taxes on the media should be reduced, government to pay on time the media houses and give out subvention like other African governments are doing because where there is no media there is no democracy. The media represents the voiceless 

Our electoral system is unique in Africa; counting the results on the spot after closing the polls after 5 p.m., using marbles and the winner is elected by

a simple majority.

The election will be keenly contested. Candidates should work harder in their campaigns because majority of the voters don’t attend rallies.

With the COVID-19, all candidates and supporters should wear facemasks. 

Let’s pray for a peaceful election Saturday 4th December from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Candidates and supporters should know about politics or sports. There must be a winner and a loser.

We must have game spirit and accept the final outcome.

Finally Mr. President we are in the month of campaign and elections next month, the government should make sure gas oil and petrol are available for people to move around and electricity intact in

the evening to watch the campaigns.

Good day!