The symbolic and widely hailed signing ceremony was held on Tuesday and Wednesday at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo and was facilitated by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) to promote and ensure violence-free parliamentary elections across the country.
The code of conduct signed, enjoins contestants, amongst others, “run issue-based political campaigns at village, town, city, district, constituency, municipal, regional and national levels; to ensure uninterrupted and uncompromised freedom of expression and sharing of accurate information on print, broadcast, outdoor and internet media throughout the electoral process; to refrain from the use of social media to disseminate fake news that misinform people; and to publicly condemn all acts of violence, intimidation and political thuggery and their instigators and perpetrators at any time during the elections process.”
The code has also tasked aspirants “to admonish their party members and their followers to refrain from insults, intimidation, incitement, violence and to conduct themselves in accordance with the rule of law after the announcement of the results; to resort to judicial processes to address disputes which may arise from the elections; and to cooperate with the IEC and law enforcement institutions it act professionally and impartially in carrying out their mandate and investigating electoral disputes, whether at the polling station, community, constituency, regional and national level s.”
The IEC chairperson, Alieu Momar Njie, made a statement at the ceremony in he urged all stakeholders to ensure peaceful elections.
The president of the Supreme Islamic Council and the chairperson of the Gambia Christian Council, Sheikh Alh. Essay Darboe and Rev. James Allen Yaw Odico respectively were present at the signing event.
Dr. Muhamed Ibn Chambas, a top diplomat was also present to give his blessings to the occasion.
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