Africa-Press – Gambia. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) appeared before the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) to respond to concerns regarding the management of its internally generated funds.
The session followed issues raised in the National Audit Report covering 2020 to 2023, which highlighted irregularities, including payments exceeding D300 million being deposited into private accounts for regional election expenses.
During the hearing, IEC management defended its actions, explaining that its handling of internally generated funds was guided by the Elections Act rather than the Public Finance Act.
FPAC Chairperson Alagie S. Darboe emphasized that all public institutions, including the IEC, must adhere to the Public Finance Act, noting that the commission’s independence under the Elections Act does not exempt it from financial accountability.
“Any fund that you are going to have should be approved by the National Assembly from the consolidated fund. And if you have extra funds also, they should be deposited in the consolidated fund. It should be there,” he stated, adding that any provision in the Elections Act that conflicts with the Public Finance Act is null and void.
Responding, IEC Vice Chairperson Cherno Jallow expressed agreement on the importance of transparency and integrity in financial management while reaffirming that the commission’s operational independence remains intact.
“We don’t have any problems with your argument, but the procedure matters. Procedures that impact on the operational independence of the IEC matter. We should be accountable for all funds that are in our custody,” he said.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sambujang Njie recommended that the National Assembly review conflicting provisions between the Elections Act and the Public Finance Act. He maintained that the commission had acted within the framework of the Elections Act by not remitting internally generated funds to the Consolidated Fund.
Chairperson Darboe clarified that depositing all internally generated funds into the Consolidated Fund is a legal obligation rather than a mere administrative control.
“Anywhere you are dealing with finance, we cannot put aside the Public Finance Act. The election act is one thing; the public finance act is another thing,” he stressed.
Vice Chairperson Jallow concluded that the IEC would ensure compliance with financial regulations moving forward and indicated the need to revisit certain legislative provisions to harmonize them.
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