#Headlines

Njai claims IEC electoral process is ‘very transparent, accurate & fair’

Sep 15, 2021, 4:10 PM | Article By: Sulayman Waan

Alhagie Alieu Mamor Njai,  the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has stated that the electoral commission's election process is “very transparent, accurate and fair.”

Mr. Njai was speaking to journalists and Civil Society Organisations during the IEC’s monthly election briefings on Tuesday; held in a local hotel at Kotu.

"Every party is allowed to send an agent to witness every process of the voting system. As you know, we are using the balloon box and make sure all political party agents are there when the balloon boxes are empty and seal them in their presence and take the serial numbers."

He said after voting, the IEC officers and party agents will agree how to vote, record and sign all election documents transparently to avoid conflict at all.

He added that prior to the voting, all party agents will lay hands on voters list of their various polling stations.

Speaking further, he said, all electorates will vote where they registered except the security officers and IEC staff who are allowed to vote at the posting polling stations.

He noted that agents having a list of voters in all polling stations and knowing the security personnel on the ground would ensure the vote tally if counted.

"That is why we are always trying so that no forces or authority can influence the voting pattern of the IEC," he said.

The IEC top official said the IEC is always working with political party agents from the beginning to the end of the election to enable them know the outcome of the election.

"So the election is very transparent, accurate and fair," he emphasised .

Further  justifying transparency and fairness of Gambia's election, he said, the IEC has allowed all political parties to have agents in all voter registration  stations across the country so that they understand the registration process. “They had the right to complain on anything regarding the vote issuing process in accordance with the election Act.”

However, Chairman Njai said the electoral commission has not received any complaint from any registration centre about the issuing of the voters cards.