Gambia News : “ WE ARE NOT POLITICALLY DORMANT ” SAYS HALIFA SALLAH
May 01,2008 00:00
by
lamin
In his response to a question raised by Baboucarr Senghore of The
Point, during his recent press conference, which was designed to
inquire why the opposition in the Gambia appears to be dormant, Halifa
Sallah claimed that he had just written a letter to the members of the
inter party committee, as a co-chairperson of the committee, to seek
their endorsement of his recommendation for a meeting to be convened to
consider items which may form part of a new electoral calendar for the
next presidential, national assembly and council elections.Halifa indicated that the principal task after the 2008 local government elections is to effect electoral reforms in preparation for future elections. He said political parties are likely to hold congresses to update their mandates, strategies, tactics and increase their support base.
He, however, pointed out that the major democratic task is to prepare an electoral calendar. He said that his letter to the political parties contains the following proposals:
Review of proposal for rotational Chairpersonship;
Review of the Security of Tenure of Commission members;
Review of Draft rules governing Alliances and Mergers;
The preparation of an Annual Report on the activities of the Committee.
He added that the Proposals for an Electoral Calendar contain the following items:
General and supplementary Registration of voters;
Review of Constituency boundaries;
Use of street names and compound numbers in registration;
Political Party finance;
Protection of Political Representatives;
Participatory approaches in appointing members of the Independent Electoral Commission;
Proposals for reform of Electoral laws;
National Media Coverage of divergent political views;
The creation of a Multi Party Forum for civic education;
Consideration of outstanding cases affecting political party operatives;
Participatory approaches in determining dates for elections.
Readers would recall that the deliberations of the Inter party committee is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the political parties after a reconciliation meeting between ruling party and the opposition, under the auspices of the Common Wealth and the Chairmanship of Ex –President Obasanjo of Nigeria.
Src: Foroyaa, Gambia