2021 Presidential Election: PAG calls for calm, violent free election

Political parties’ supporters, he said, must desist from spreading false information, hate speech and violence.

Mr. Sambou was speaking recently at their office at Westfield during Peace Ambassador The Gambia (PAG) 4th update on the just concluded voter registration exercise.

PAG, was part of many organisations in the country that partook in observing the voter’s registration exercise with a view to making it more participatory, and also to provide independent information on the quality of the process, and deterring potential problems.   

PAG, he said, would continue to play its part in ensuring that the country holds a peaceful presidential election, claiming that their organisation will soon produce a comprehensive report which would include observations, findings and recommendations about the just concluded voter registration exercise. Sambou equally urges Gambians to safeguard their voter’s card ahead of the election.

“PAG sent in observers across all the 52 constituencies in the country. This was to enable us to observe how the registration process was going on. It’s therefore important to note that registration officials followed most of the registration procedures.”

“However, there have been challenges during the registration process as some officials of the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) were reporting to registration centres late and equally closed earlier than the stipulated time. We equally observed that security personnel and political parties’ agents were deployed across the country to observe the process.”

PAG President further added: “During our observation mission, we also witnessed a slight increase in the number of instances of disruption, intimidation and harassment at some registration centres. Our observers’ reports indicated some level of disruption or attempt to disrupt the registration throughout the observation,” he posited.

Peace Ambassadors The Gambia, he added, has since 2006 been monitoring elections in the country including presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. “We equally participate in the voter registration education campaign in ensuring that people turn out to register and vote.”

PAG, he further added, is a voluntary non-profit peace education and advocacy organisation that has been operating in The Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau since its inception in 2001.