Africa-Press – Gambia. UDP youth leader Haji Suwaneh has condemned the recent issuance of identity cards to Gambians in Bissau by the Gambia Immigration Department claiming it is yet another attempt to “steal” the upcoming 2026 presidential election.
“The Barrow government appears to be leveraging the Gambia Immigration Department and the Ministry for the Interior to bolster their position in the forthcoming elections. Our position is that this is nothing but a strategy to engage in electoral fraud through inflating the electoral voter roll using state resources,” the youth politician said.
He lamented the “mute” stance of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on this matter, labeling it “alarming”.
“The IEC’s role,” he posited, “should be impartial and not influenced by political machinations. In a functioning democracy, all administrative processes must adhere to legal standards and maintain transparency to uphold public trust, particularly in an election year.”
Suwaneh alleged that those issued national documents overseas have not gone through “legal protocols” as prescribed by Gambian laws.
“We demand transparency and accountability in the process of these overseas ID card and birth certificate issuances not only in Guinea Bissau but also in Gabon, Togo and Mauritania. We urge the relevant authorities, including Gambia Immigration Department, Ministry for the Interior, and the IEC, to publicly disclose the processes followed in the issuances and provide clear documentation to uphold the integrity of national electoral processes. Without a transparent process and access to this data, any assurance of free and fair elections is jeopardised,” he warned.
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