From the letter the UDP/coalition wrote to the IEC dated 19th December, I
quote:

"The registration were dished out a few days before polling day and this did
not allow us time to properly scrutinize and check them against the list
made available earlier on the basis of which the objections were made. This
consequently opened floodgates for all types of malpractices to take place.
WE DEMAND THAT YOU MAKE AVAILABLE TO US HEAD REGISTERS FOR ALL
CONSTITUENCIES ON OR BEFORE 22nd DECEMBER 2001.
We make this demand in order to ensure that no illegal registration carried
out is further injected into the registration in June". Emphasis, mine.

Having demanded that the IEC make available to the UDP the head registers of
ALL constituencies ON OR BEFORE the 22nd DECEMBER 2001, how come they (the
UDP/PPP/GPP coalition) decided to announce that they were boycotting the
National Assembly elections on the 20th December 2001, AT LEAST 2 CLEAR DAYS
BEFORE THE DEADLINE THAT THEY THEMSELVES GAVE TO THE IEC?

How come they did not share the evidence they have about possible electoral
fraud with other parties to make a boycot of the elections more meaningful
and thus put more pressure on the government and the IEC?

The UDP also wrote:

"We must also point out that the register used for the presidential election
had ordinarily gone through the process of verification - inspection of
lists was done at IEC offices, village bantabas etc. and Objections raised
were necessary. You had in accordance with the elections Decree issued
notice urging people to people to scrutinize the list of voters displayed at
public places throughout the Gambia to allow those whose names do not appear
on the list to make representations to the appropriate registration officer
for the insertion of their names on the list of voters".

The UDP should have at least waited until this exercise by the IEC, which
they apparently approve of, to be completed  and the list made public. They
can then scrutinize it, possibly challenge it and finally boycot if they are
not satisfied.

I personally believe that the UDP is increasingly consolidating its
amalgamation with the PPP and GPP parties and I believe that would be a big
mistake. The recently concluded presidential elections should have convinced
the UDP that its close liaison with the deadwood of political parties of
yesteryears is in the long run counter productive. There is no way the old
guard can come back into our lives and the sooner the UDP leadership
realises this the better for them. It will be a great lose to the Gambian
people if we are to loose a National Assembly Member like Kemeseng Jammeh
because of some frivolous and unproved allegations even before the final
list of eligible voters has been released for review by the public. Kemeseng
has contributed more in the National Assembly than the majority of the
members of this august body. I hope common sense will prevail and they will
re-think their possition. I also hope that the IEC will soon clarify the
concerns raised by the UDP coalition.

Have a good day, Gassa.



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