The training according to the organizers is aimed to train the staff of the commission on the electoral Laws of the land particularly the new amendment Bill. the workshop is said to be funded by the Ministry of Finance of the Gambia.
Below is a statement by the IEC chair who is believed to be illegally occupying the chairman of the commission:
STATEMENT BY ALHAGIE MUSTAPHA L. CARAYOL, CHAIRMAN OF THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION ON THE OCCASION OF A TWO DAYS WORKSHOP ON THE ELECTORAL REFORMS AND THE RE-DEMARCATION OF ELECTORAL
Commission Members, Chief Electoral Officer and Directors, Staff of the IEC Members of the Press
Good Morning,
Kindly allow me to begin this address by thanking all Gambians who have in one way or the other contributed to, or facilitated the work of the IEC from its inception.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Chapter Five of the Constitution of the Second Republic of the Gambia, 1997 – is entitled ‘Representation of the People’. By the said chapter, the Constitution places importance on the representation of the people, clearly portraying the establishment of the Independent Electoral Commission and outlining its duties and functions, among which are:
The conduct and supervision of the registration of voters for all public elections and the conduct and supervision of all public elections and referenda.
- The conduct of the election of a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker;
- The registration and supervision of political parties;
- Ensuring that the dates, times and places of public elections and referendum are determined in accordance with law and that they are publicized and elections held accordingly;
- Ensuring that candidates in elections make a full declaration of their assets at the time of nomination;
- Announcing the results of all elections and referendum for which it is responsible.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
In carrying out the above mandate, the Independent Electoral Commission made all efforts to build on the gains made in the past in order to establish a sound democratic culture based on the right of the citizen to participate in the development of the country and to maintain at all times a free, fair and transparent electoral system.
Attention has therefore been focused on the delivery of electoral services for the people of the Gambia to have the opportunity to participate in the development of the nation
In its resolve to attain the outlined policy, the Independent Electoral Commission has set itself objectives based on the principles of Fair-play Integrity and Transparency, which have become the motto of the institution.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Chapter Five also touches on the right of the people to vote and be registered in order to take part in the political life of the nation at all levels of elective offices ranging from Presidential
As we all know very well, properly defined boundaries are fundamental to peace, stability, and progress in any country. But the importance of boundaries is not only limited to the boundaries of nations, it also affects the boundaries of constituencies, wards, and even ancestral and family lands. Throughout history families have been divided over improperly defined land boundaries by parents and ancestors, and the world today experiences larger levels of strive emanating from the same issue of land boundaries.
Our continent alone provides many important lessons on the necessity to ensure that boundaries are properly demarcated. Today as the responsibility for demarcating falls in our hands, we owe it to our children and to future generations of Gambians to ensure that we do this with thought and with care.