By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) revealed that the replacement of voter’s cards commenced today, 21st March 2022 for a week and will attract an increased fee of D200. This was announced by IEC’s Returning Officer for Banjul Mr Sulayman Joof at a public dialogue on “Citizens Access to and use of Electoral Information” organised by the Gambia Press Union (GPU) at Sanyang Community Library on Saturday 19th March 2022.
Other members of the high table that addressed the gathering include the Governor of the West Coast Region, the Alkalo Lamin Sanyang, GPU President Mr Muhammed MS Bah, a representative from the Gambia Police Force and a legal officer for the National Human Rights Commission, Mr Basiru Bah.
Voters Cards Replacement Increases to D200
Mr Sulayman Joof took advantage of the opportunity to inform the public that the IEC will be rolling out the replacement of voter’s cards from 21st March 2022 to 27th March 2022. This will allow only people with destroyed, lost or stolen voters cards to purchase a new voter’s card after paying a fee of D200.
Speaking about the previous voter’s card replacement drive Mr Joof explained that this is done prior to every major election and this was the case in 2021 before the Presidential Elections. Although voter’s cards were issued from 29th May to 11th July 2021, the Commission provided for the replacement of voter’s cards from 15th to 21st November 2021. The cost then was only D100, now the price of a replacement voter’s card has doubled to D200.
All voters card replacement will take place at the IEC Regional Offices in Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama, Kerewan, Mansakonko, Janjangbureh and Basse. According to the IEC “no new voter’s card will be issued during this exercise”.
The dialogue was conducted mainly in Mandinka. One participant raised concerns about journalists using hate speech on their platforms. Journalists taking up a mic and propagating hate speech what type of journalist are those ones, they asked.
GPU President Muhammed MS Bah responded to the participant’s concerns by explaining that not every writer on social media is a journalist. Not every one that publishes audios or talks over the radio is a journalist. Journalists are guided by a code of conduct and media ethics. The Media Council is mandated to discipline journalists who fail to comply with the Cherno Jallow code of ethics. Anyone who abuses the media to insult or propagate hate speech is not a journalist.
The event was funded by the National Endowment for Democracy through the Africa Freedom of Information Centre.