Three Gambian Political Parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled “Alliance for Change 2021” at the Paradise Suites Hotel on Wednesday 27th October 2021. The three Party leaders that signed the MoU are APP’s Dr Biram Jagne, CA’s Dr Ismaila Ceesay and GMC’s Mai Ahmed Fatty.
The party leaders of GFA and NUP were expected to sign the MoU, however, for some reason, both party leaders failed to show up and sign the agreement. Below is the entire agreement as presented to the press on the day of the signing ceremony.
ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
INTRODUCTION
Since independence in 1965, The Gambia continues to confront challenges of socioeconomic development. Even with the consolidation of genuine democracy and the implementation of some of the most successful economic reform programs in the Sahel, the issue of corruption, abuse of office and misplaced priorities negatively impacted on the pace of developmernt.
In 1994, the military overthrew the democratically elected government and remained in power until its defeat at the polls in December 2016. Achievements in the socioeconomic sectors were over-shadowed by political oppression, weakening of institutions and the polarization of society on ethno-linguistic and political grounds. Weak democratic culture has resulted to the lack of strong institutions as well as socio-economic policies to build a vibrant economy for sustained development. Regrettably, the past five years of the Adama Barrow led administration failed to
introduce any meaningful reforms leading to further politicization and weakening of state institutions, and a decline in the quality of life of the average citizen, in all spheres. In the absence of strong institutions and public policies, poverty, hunger, inequality, ignorance and ill-health have persisted and have left many Gambians vulnerable to daily challenges of life.
Efforts to promote or build strong, disciplined, inclusive national institutions to facilitate consensus and compromise around national policy development and implementation, protection of human rights and the rule of law; and the promotion of the welfare of all citizens within a unified nation have failed. These challenges, coupled with mismanagement of economic resources, have been accentuated by selfserving political conduct where personal and partisan interests override national interest. Consequently, The Gambia now faces a near existential threat, which require urgent redress to avert potential civil strive.
Trust and confidence are critical ingredients for running effective governance. The current administration has lost the trust of a large section of Gambians, and her international partners. The administration has chosen a dangerous political and economic trajectory, which if not reversed may potentially lead to conflict and economic collapse. There is urgent need to restore trust and confidence among Gambians in their own government, and among international partners and investors.
Based on the foregoing challenges, imperatives and more, the Parties to this Agreement commit themselves to form an alliance to contest election 2021 under a unified banner and single candidate.
1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
a. The Parties agree to always engage and collaborate in good faith and to avoid
surprises.
b. It is noted that acceding to the alliance does not in any way negate the independent identity, legal status or sovereignty of a participating partner.
c. The Aliance will be governed by an Executive Committee (EC). Each of the undersigned partners will provide two Delegates to the EC; namely the Party Leader, Deputy, Party Leader, and a named Alternate who must be a senior member of the Party governing authority. The Delegate must have the authority to make decisions where necessary.
2. NAME
a. Parties hereby establish a political partnership called “ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE” to support one Presidential Candidate to be selected in accordance with the provisions of this MoU.
3. GOALS
a. To contest elections 2021 as a single unincorporated entity with a single candidate, and to form an inclusive alliance government.
b. Undertake fundamental reforms, addressing issues of development in The Gambia.
c. Consolidate peace and stability
d. Deepen democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights
e. Make transparency and good governance a hallmark of governance
f. To commit to the application of measures and strategies geared towards a balanced gender ratio at all levels of decision making.
g. Drive economic growth, so as to achieve meaningful socio-economic advancement, and putting The Gambia on the path to inclusive sustainable development.
4. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
a. To win December 4th Presidential elections under Alliance For Change through well organized, aggressive issue-based electioneering campaign.
b. To ensure that the entire electoral and electioneering processes are free, fair and just through an elections monitoring team.
c. To institute an Aliance government and to share power in accordance with the terms of the “Kololi Accord“.
e. To strengthen the rule of law through relevant statutory and institutional reforms and by enhancing the professional standards and conditions of service of security and law enforcements institutions and the judiciary.
f. Within 30 days of assumption of office, produce an economic reform and expansion blue-print to comprehensively address the priorities of the economy.
5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC)
a. Signatory participating Parties hereby jointly constitute the Executive Committee comprising TWO Delegates from each participating Party which shall include a Party Leader or person of equal standing, and Deputy Party Leader or person of similar standing. Each participating Party shall also designate a named Alternate Delegate from amongst very senior members of it’s National Executive as a stand-by Delegate in the place of an absentee Delegate from that Party.
b. The EC is the highest policy and decision-making authority of the Alliance, and shall operate its affairs as a consensus committee. For all practical purposes, the terms of the “GROUND RULES” are hereby incorporated by reference and constitute part of this MoU. The said terms shall be applied herein whenever and wherever deemed necessary or consistent.
c. The EC may establish specialized committees of permanent or ad hoc nature for a more efficient and comprehensive manner of conducting affairs. Membership of such committees shall fairly reflect the composition of constituent Parties. The committees shall elect their own chairpersons and secretaries, and shall also prescribe their own procedures as long as the same
are not inconsistent with the terms of this MoU. The EC shall determine the continuing relevance of a committee, amend or renew its mandate where necessary. It shall also have exclusive supervisory jurisdiction over all committees, amend, substitute, vary or cancel its decisions, etc.
d. The C shall meet regularly to diligently monitor the implementation of this MoU and all others deriving authority therefrom.
e. The EC and its organs shall be dissolved in the event of irreconcilable differences.
6. OFFICES
a. CHAIRPERSON: She or he shall preside over all meetings of the EC and generally supervise the conduct all of such meetings, including compliance with the “Ground Rules”. She or he may be assigned any other task by the EC.
b. DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON She or he shall act the functions ot the Chairperson during her or his absence, and assist the Chairperson in the overall discharge of her or his functions.
c. GENERAL SECRETARY: She or he shall be the general scribe of the EC and the custodian of records of the proceedings of EC meetings and other related documents, originating and responding to correspondences and all other secretarial activities.
d. DEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY: She or he shall act in the absence of the General Secretary, and in general assist the General Secretary in the discharge of his or her functions. The EC may also assign any other task related to functions.
e. TREASURER: She or he shall be the custodian and manager of the financial and economic resources of the alliance.
f. DEPUTY TREASURER: She or he shall assist the Treasurer in the discharge of her or his functions, and any other task that may be assigned by the EC relating to financial matters.
g. SPOKESPERSON: She or he shall be the mouthpiece of the EC, the interface between the Alliance on one hand and the general media, press releases, public statements and external partners.
h. AUDITOR: An independent auditor shall be engaged by the EC to perform the audit of accounts of the Alliance.
7. SPECIALISED COMMITTEES
a. The following Committees shall be created and whose jurisdiction would be defined by the EC.
b. Finance Committee to be headed by the Treasurer
c. Electoral Committee
d. Campaign Committee to be headed by a Campaign Coordinator
e. Media & PR Committee to be headed by the Spokesperson
f. Logistics & Security Committee to be headed by the Secretary to the EC
g. Any other committee that the EC may determine.
8. THE FLAG BEARER
a. The winner of the selection process shall be the flag bearer of the Alliance. While contesting on a collectively supported partisan ticket, she or he shall belong to all participating Parties and answerable to the EC.
b. The Flag bearer shall be fair, impartial and just in all of his conduct towards each participating Party, and shall not display or undertake any partisan favour under any circumstances.
c. He shall present and propagate the content of a manifesto that shall be jointly prepared y the EC or a committee acting under the instructions of the EC, and the said manifesto must be approved by the EC.
d. The Flag bearer shall consult and act in accordance with the advice of the EC in all important matters.
e. The EC may further amplify the role, rights and responsibilities of the Flag bearer.
f. The EC and the Candidate shall execute a separate legally binding Accord containing post election guarantees relating to tenure, governance, authority and power.
9. ADHOC ELECTION COMMITTEE (AEC)
a. An AEC shall be constituted to conduct all processes relating to the election. The integrity of the election process shall be assumed by the AEC in accordance with the terms of this MoU and international best practices.
b. The AEC shall adopt it’s own internal procedures of operations deriving inspiration from this MoU, the Elections Act 2015, and international best practice. These procedures shall be publicly explained satisfactorily to parties, prior to the conduct of any aspect of the election.
c. The AECC shall comprise persons of high standing from the Institutions below
i. One Representative of Gambia Participates
ii. One Representative from The Right Know
iii. One Representative from Commission on Political Debates
d. The members of the AEC shall select a Chairperson from among themselves who shall be the Returning Officer.
10. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
a. The Flag bearer must fulfil the criteria contained in the lections Act 2015.
11. NOMINATION AND ELECTION
a. Only participating political Parties shall nominate candidates.
b. A participating political Party will submit the name of one contestant to the Chairperson of the AEC. The contestant must possess and produce an original valid voter’s card issued by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
c. The contestant’s name must be contained in the register of voters in his or her constituency of registration, supplied by the Independent Electoral Commission.
d. An objection may be raised before the closure of nomination on grounds of ineligibility and/or conditions associated with voter card. An objection shall be made to the AEC and who shall resolve the matter expeditiously.
e. The decision of the EC shall be final and binding on all parties.
f. Each nominated candidate shall subscribe to a code of conduct approved by the EC.
12. CAMPAIGNING
a. All qualified, nominated candidates shall participate publicly at internal policy debate conducted and coordinated by the Commission on Political debates, before the actual election will be held. Debate shall be exclusively issue based and a contest of policy ideas.
b. Each candidate shall sign a common undertaking at the time of nomination, to observe all the provisions relating to nomination, selection and voting, and more specifically to accept and abide by the final results of the election.
13. ALLIANCE CANDIDATE
A. SELECTION METHODS
i. One of the selection methods identified below of the presidential candidate shall be adopted.
B. DIRECT CONSENSUS BY THE EC
Parties may unanimously agree on a common candidate at a go through an open “no-objection” procedure. In the event of an objection raised, this procedure shall be abandoned in favour of the other selection methods stipulated below.
C. In the application of Clause 13.B.i, the following may be taken into considerations, in addition to Clause 10 hereinabove:
i. Integrity
ii. Academic/prolessional qualilication or lile túme expericnce
iii. Electability
D. For purposes of giving effect to Clause 13. C herein, the EC shall constitute itself into a Verification Commillce (VC). Prospective candidate who subject him/herself thereto shall automatically be excluded from both the membership lo and participation in the VC. The unanimous decision of the VC arising out of the verification process shall be binding on both the EC and the participating candidates. The VC shall render a decision within three days of being constituted.
(i) A prospective candidate’s senior represcntaüve(s) within the VC shall act as an observer all the material time(s) such candidate’s eligibility is being considered by the VC, and shall resume full active status in the eligibility considerations of all other prospective candidates.
E. ELECTION BY PARTY DELEGATES
(i) Each participating political Party will nominate Delegates of ten members who will individually vote among candidates. The winner will be the candidate with the highest number of votes using the 50% plus principle.
14. ABSOLUTE MAJORITY (FIFTY ONE PERCENT PLUS) PRINCIPLE
a. Second round of voting shall be conducted between the two candidates with the highest and second higher numbers of votes, and the candidate with the highest number of votes shall be declared the winner.
Where no clear winner emerged, a third or where necessary additional rounds of voting shall be conducted between the candidates with the highest number of votes.
15. VOTING PROCESS
a. Only national voter’s card issued by the Independent Elections Commission shall be accepted and used for participating in the election. A delegate must have his or her name in the register of voters maintained by the IEC and supplied to Parties.
b. Casting of votes shall be by paper ballot at an open, highly visible, generally accessible, unobstructed public area. A container of white transparent plastic bucket shall be the ballot drum.
c. Each electorate shall have only one vote and shall vote only once at a time for a candidate of choice, using approved paper ballot.
16. OBJECTIONS
a. Candidate must present his or her objections during the pendency and in any case before the conclusion of each stage of the electioneering process, within 48 hours. The AEC must expeditiously resolve any such controversy or controversies fairly and impartially and it’s decision in the resolution of every objection presented is binding on all candidates, until set aside or varied by the EC.
b. Where a candidate is not satisfied with the decision of the AEC in respect of the settlement of the objection(s) raised, she or he may appeal to the EC
17. DECLARATION OF RESULTS
a. A candidate with the majority of absolute majority of votes cast shall be declared the winner.
18. MISCELLANEOUS
a. Registered political Parties are eligible to join the Alliance up to the 25th day of November 2021, and shall upon the successful execution of all relevant Instruments without modifications, be entitled to all opportunities contained thereunder.
b. Independent Candidates who wish to endorse the Alliance shall negotiate with the EC individually on a case-by-case basis.
Done at Kololi this day of 26th October 2021.