Gainako Online Newspaper visited the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on 30th August 2021 and was issued a list of Registered Political Parties to date which include 18 Political Parties.
According to IEC Cheif Electoral Officer, Mr Sambujang Njie, all Parties listed from 1 (UDP) to 8 (GMC) were registered according to the previous requirements which include at least 5,000 registered voters. From the 5,000 registered voters, they should include at least 200 registered voters from each of the 7 administrative areas. In essence, Parties that have already been registered don’t have to register again.
From 2016 to date all Parties from 9 (GDC) downwards to 18 (ANRD) were registered with a total of 10,000 registered voters. This was after some amendments in the Electoral Act. From the 10,000 registered voters at least 1,000 registered voters must come from each of the 7 administrative areas. 3,000 registered voters can come from any of the 7 administrative areas.
According to IEC CEO Sambujang Njie, there is nothing in the Electoral Act that demands that Parties cannot use the same registered voter to register their party.
Yusef Taylor, commonly known as Flex Dan is an editor and practising journalist based in the Gambia with a keen interest in human rights, the economy and good governance among many others.
He continues to break news on the economy, human rights violations and is highly engaged in security sector reforms, constitutional reform and the transition of the Gambia from dictatorship to a democracy, the NewGambia.
Yusef has been working with Gainako as a media practitioner from 2015 to date. He has a degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of Design Consultancy experience.