Africa-Press – Gambia. At the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) congress held in Brikamaba on Saturday, Hamat NK Bah, the party leader and Secretary General of the NRP as well as Minister of Local Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs, called for a comprehensive reform of The Gambia’s electoral system to incorporate diaspora voting.
Bah emphasized that the current electoral framework is inadequate for accommodating the voting rights of Gambians living abroad. “Our current electoral system cannot effectively cover for diaspora voting; if you cannot talk about diaspora voting alone, our voting system needs to be overhauled,” he said.
Highlighting inclusivity, Bah stressed the importance of considering minority groups alongside diaspora voters. “If you want to cater for diaspora, you must also think of minority groups in the country. Minority religious groups in the country, not only talking about people in the diaspora,” he said.
He advocated for amendments to the electoral system to ensure representation of all minorities, whether based on ethnicity or religion. Bah proposed adopting a proportional representation voting system, which he argued would better reflect the diversity of the Gambian populace.
“Our current system does not cater for that. It is the electoral system that needs to be amended and overhauled to cater for both minorities, be they tribe or religion, and for diaspora to have the opportunity to vote. What system is that? That is the proportional system of voting,” he said.
Bah further noted that under such a system, legal frameworks could mandate the inclusion of underrepresented groups, such as women and religious minorities, in electoral candidate lists. “First past the post is the British system of voting; when you have a proportional system of voting, every poll is counted,” he said.
The NRP leader emphasized that the proposed system would empower the law to mandate the inclusion of underrepresented groups—such as women and religious minorities—on electoral candidate lists.
“And the list you presented, You can be compelled by law to include, Women, other groups, non Muslims or other religious groups into the list of people you are presenting for elections. With that, every poll that you cast anywhere in the world is counted and computed. But with all this noise of diaspora voting, where does it leave the minority Christians? Who are today, not one single Christian is in our parliament,” He Said.
He also emphasizes that proportional representation guarantees that every vote cast—regardless of location—is counted and contributes to the final outcome.
“With that, every poll that you cast anywhere in the world is counted and computed. Where does it leave other minority groups who have a right to be represented to be future,” He Said.
Bah further noted that while South Africa has adopted proportional representation, many English-speaking African countries, including The Gambia, continue to follow the Westminster model.
“In the whole of Africa, other then South Africa, no other English speaking country has adopted the minority system of voting except South Africa. All others in Africa are using the Westminster system of elections force past the polls,” He Said.
He added, “Therefore you cannot talk about diaspora voting and talk about you. And let me make it very clear. We have more Gambian Diaspora in Casamance here, Senegal, In Mauritania than you have in Europe, the whole of Europe and they are Gambians, they have a right to register, to come and vote in this country.”
He also pointed out that many Gambians across Africa have been forced to migrate because they no longer have access to grazing land for their livestock.
“Do you think that being in the United Kingdom, being in America, talking about that will exclude these Gambians who have migrated, who have gone because they have nowhere to graze their animals and they are Gambians in thousands,” He Said.
He further emphasized that members of Parliament and the government are being unfairly blamed for the delay in implementing diaspora voting.
“We must be careful, they have been castigating the members of Parliament, insulting them, abusing the government not knowing the full responsibility before them. It cannot be only for them, if they think that diaspora voting is for America and the United Kingdom, they are making a big mistake,” he stated.
He added, “Diaspora voting would mean for every Gambian living outside The Gambia, our citizens who are all over the sub region will have the right to vote.”
The NRP leader called on all stakeholders to unite and thoroughly reform the electoral system.
He stated, “Therefore, let’s overhaul the electoral system and employ everybody on board and stop blaming the members of parliament or stop castigating the government for diaspora voting and I think this is very important.”
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