The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has warned individuals and organisation involved in the collection of voters’ cards from their owners, saying it is contravening the law. “They are therefore asked to desist from such an activity of face the law.”
The IEC in a release send to The Point said: “Section 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia states that “every citizen of The Gambia of full age and capacity shall have the right, without reasonable restrictions to take to part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, to vote and stand for elections at genuine periodic elections for public office, which elections shall be by universal and equal suffrage and be held by secret ballot.”
The released further stated that a number of groups with the expressed desire of forming political parties have been issued with forms to go round the country seeking the electorates’ consent on endorsing the formation of their parties.
The process is simply to capture the details of the voter and ultimately the voter appending his/her signature on the form. “This process does not require the collection of the voters’ cards from any voters.”
