Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 84/2006, 2-3 October, 2006
Editorial
HAVE THE OPPOSITION ACCEPTED THE RESULTS?
FOROYAA has been receiving questions regarding the acceptance or non –
acceptance of the results of the presidential election.
This question has to be addressed from a legal angle and from the angle of
the expressions of the presidential candidates and their parties.
In terms of the constitution, section 49 states that “any registered
political party which has participated in the presidential election or an
independent candidate who has participated in such an election may apply to the supreme
court to determine the validity of the election of a president by filing a
petition within ten days of the declaration of the results of the election.”
The results were declared on the 23rd September 2006. Today is October 2nd
2006.
FOROYAA has yet to receive information that any party has filed an election
petition questioning the validity of the election.
Furthermore, the (elections) decree makes it a requirement for the polling
agents and counting agents to sign.
Section 71 subsection (3) of the Elections Decree makes it a requirement
for the polling agents to sign or thumb print the report at the close of the
polls and put down their comments, queries or observations. Foroyaa has been
investigating and could not come up with a polling station where agents of the
opposition had refused to sign. We are aware of comments where a certain
polling station in Brikama is said to be situated in the home of a cabinet member.
Lastly section 80 subsection (2) of the Elections Decree makes it a
requirement for each counting agent of a party to sign or thumb print the report on
the counting of the votes before sending it to the commission. Foroyaa has
been investigating and is yet to receive any report from any counting agent who
refused to sign.
FOROYAA has also reviewed the Elections Decree and has seen no section
providing for the presidential candidates to sign to endorse or reject the
results. If any body has information on the source of the claim that there is a form
that the opposition has not signed Foroyaa is interested in the information.
As it stands party supporters should ask their party leaders whether they
have filed election petitions to call on the Supreme Court to invalidate the
results.
Foroyaa has asked Halifa Sallah. What he condemns without reservation is the
broadcasting of false information by Momodou sanyang of the GRTS about his
nomination papers and the suppression of his right to broadcast to the nation
to clarify the issue on the last day of the campaign. He accused Momodou
Sanyang of professional irresponsibility and promised to follow the mater until
the whole nation discovers the lies spread by the TV and Radio to defend his
integrity.
HUMAN TRAFFICKERS RELEASED ON BAIL
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
Superintendent Aziz Bojang, Spokesperson of the Gambia Police Force has
indicated that some alleged human traffickers have been released on bail recently.
Speaking to Foroyaa on Thursday, Mr. Bojang said that the alleged human
traffickers were suspected of trafficking people to the Canary Islands, in Spain.
“I can assure you that the police are very much adamant on prosecuting
perpetrators or the ring leaders of the scandal,” Superintendent Bojang stressed.
On how many people are involved in the scandal, Bojang said he would not
know the figure. He said the police are still investigating the matter.
The Gambia Navy and the Police had recently intercepted a group of migrants
who were heading to Spain.
HAS MAHAWA CHAM ABSCONDED?
Bubacarr K. Sowe and Fabakary B. Ceesay
Reports reaching Foroyaa have indicated that Mahawa Cham, the National
Assembly Member for Kiang East, has absconded shortly before the elections.
According to family members in Masembeh (his village), Honorable Cham held a
meeting in his village and advised the attendees to choose between the two
opposition parties and vote wisely.
He told family members that he is fleeing for his life, but did not disclose
where he was heading to. Sources alleged that Mr. Cham went to Switzer land
via Spain.
However, one of his brothers has denied that Mr. Cham has absconded,
stressing that he is in the Senegalese region of Cassamance where he is consulting
his marabout.
WATER SHORTAGE HIT L/K AND WELLINGARA
By Abdou Yanka
Few days after Gambians re-elected President Jammeh to manage their affairs,
residents of Latrikunda Sabiji and Wellingara are facing acute water
shortage in their respective communities. During late hours at night, women could be
seen in the streets fetching water. According to them, water is only
available during odd hours.
Many people have resorted to fetching water from the few wells in their
communities. When this reporter visited streets in Piccadilly, Wellingara and
other parts of Latrikunda, he spoke to some of the women, they told him that
since after the Presidential nomination, there was constant water supply which
came to a halt three days after the elections. Many people have concluded that
the constant water supply was aimed at getting their votes, whilst others
still think that it was because of Mr. Jobe the former (MD) Managing Director,
who was removed.
An old woman in Wellingara said their community is always face with water
shortage. She called on those responsible for providing them with water to come
to their aid. She described the water shortage in the holy month of Ramadan
as dangerous. She described the Kombo women as restless and helpless.
ELECTION OBSERVERS RECOMMEND TO IEC
By Bubacarr K. Sowe and Fabakary B. Ceesay
The National Youth Parliament (NYP) has drawn series of recommendations for
the Independent Electoral Commission.
These recommendations were announced during a Press Conference held at the
Parliament’s office at Churchill’s Town on Friday.
The Speaker of the Parliament, Lamin F. Bojang said the list that contains
the names of the electorate should be published in each polling station before
elections. He said this will enable voters to know the polling station they
should go to during polling day.
He said there should be improvement of the logistics arrangement, such as
the provision of enough vehicles for the transportation of ballot boxes to the
counting centers on time.
Mr. Bojang also said that counting centres should be improved with better
facilities, such as the provision of generators to place where there is no
electricity. He said this will make the counting more transparent.
“To avoid holding national and general elections during rainy season. These
need more preparation and resources,” the youth said.
He emphasized the need for the IEC to put in place a strategy that will
deter people below eighteen years from registering as voters.
Mr. Bojang said in order to remedy the low turnout of voters at polls,
especially among young people, the voter education programme needs to be
strengthened. He also said that polling booths need to be standardized in order to
avoid voting under the sum or under trees that could affect the sight of the
electorate.
Besides that, the youth Parliament has commended the IEC for conducting the
Presidential polls in a peaceful and fair atmosphere.
GAMBIANS URGED TO ACCEPT ELECTION RESULTS
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
The Network of Pan African Electoral Experts or Reseau Pan African des
Experts Electoraux (PANEEX) has called on Gambians to accept the results of the
Presidential elections.
This appeal was contained in a preliminary statement signed by PANEEX’s
Executive Secretary Emmanuel Dossou Atchade. The preliminary statement is based
on their assessment of the Presidential elections in The Gambia.
“The Paneex and its associate missions salute the people of The Gambia and
called on the parties, candidates, civil society organisations and the people
of The Gambia to accept the results of the ballot boxes,” the statement
indicated.
It added that the process of tabulation and aggregation of the results was
carried out in an accurate manner with an efficient system that guarantees
checks and verifications.
“combined with our earlier assessment of the pre-election environment and
the legal framework governing the conduct of the election, the findings from
our observation of the voting and vote counting procedures, the tabulation and
aggregation of the results, the Paneex can conclude that the overall process
was transparent, reliable and conducted in a professional manner,” the
release added.
However, Paneex said that there were little concerns for some voters who
could not easily identify their appropriate polling stations and therefore
wasted some time finding the right place to vote.
FORMER NAWEC STAFF TRIAL ADJOURNED
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
The ongoing trail involving Abdoulie Jobe, the former Manging Director of
the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) and the aforesaid corporation
’s distribution Manager Tijan Bahoum has been adjourned till the 12th of
October for hearing.
State Prosecutor, Superintendent Landing Kinteh told the court that the
matter is still being investigated and appealed for more time inorder for the
Police to complete their investigation. Magistrate Mboto then deferred the trial
till twelve of October for hearing.
MAN DOCKED FOR ISSUEING FALSE CHEQUES
Bubacarr K. Sowe
Muhammadou Sissoho, a 34 year old, on Thursday appeared before the Banjul
Magistrate Court on a charge of issuing two false cheques, contrary to the laws
of the Gambia.
According to the particulars of the offence, Mr. Sissoho on or about January
and March 2006, in the city of Banjul, issued Link Enterprise with two
Standard Chartered Bank cheques, numbered 00674432 and 00674433 amounting to D533,
745 knowing that he does not have sufficient funds in his account.
The accused has however pleaded not guilty to the charge. He has been
granted bail by the Court in the sum of 40,000 dalasis.
Sissoho applied for an adjournment of the trial, indicating that his counsel
could not make it to Court. The Prosecutor objected to the application,
noting that the accused person’s lawyer said he will appear in Court.
Magistrate Buba Jawo ruled that the whole idea of justice is to balance
ideas. He said the Court cannot continue adjourning the matter. He advised the
accused not to depend on one lawyer.
OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNORS WHO SHOULD APPOINT THE ALKALOS
Alkaloship is a major problem in the country, and this should not happen if
the laws of the land are respected.
The reason for saying this is simple. Since the second Republic started, any
time the President is firing a Secretary of State, he will cite a section in
the National Constitution.
Why is it that Governors appoint Alkalos without backing relying on
authorities?
According to Section 141 of the Local Government Act, Section 141, there
shall be an Alkalo for each village.
Section 142,(1), state that the Secretary of State for Local Government
shall appoint an Alkalo in consultation with the Division Commissioner, now the
Governor and the district Chief. This is because the Governor is responsible
for the therefore the Chief who is close to the village should help both the
SoS and the Governor to make sure that things go right. That’s why Section
134(1) of the Act state that a person is qualified for appointment as Seyfo, if
he or she © is knowledgeable in the customs, traditions, culture and
customary laws of his or her district. It is very clear that it is the Chief who
should help the SoS and the Governor because he is directly associated with the
villages.
Furthermore, Section 142,(2) states that the Secretary of State shall, in
making an appointment under Subsection(1), take into account traditional lines
of inheritance. Tradition is a determinant factor. That is why this section
is not silent on the village’s culture and tradition, which needs to be
respected.
It is clear to everyone that the Chief is the technician on the ground who
could facilitate the appointment of the Alkalos if. Justice guide our actions,
no one will be blamed.
SENEGALESE DRIVERS COMPLAIN
By Yaya Dampha
The two new ferries, Soma and Farafenni that are deployed at the Yeli
Tenda-Bamba Tenda crossing have made travelling on the Trans-Gambia road boring and
time consuming. Whenever the tides are high, the services of the ferries are
rendered useless because their rams are short and the docking points are not
in good order. Senegalese drivers who spoke to this reporter complained that
when the tides are high, they sometimes spend more than forty-eight hours at
the riverbanks. There are no good restaurants and motels for travellers at
the riverbanks. According to Mr. Khalilu Seck, a Senegalese driver, they
sometime asked their passengers to cross the river by canoes to enable them to
board vehicles at the other bank.
According to him, the truck drivers always spend more time waiting for the
tide to subside to enable the ferries to work effectively.
When this reporter visited the Yelli Tenda crossing points, he found that
the tides were high and the services of the ferries wee rendered useless and he
had to cross on board a canoe with an out-board engine after hours of
struggling with other passengers. At Bamba Tenda, this reporter found soldiers on
guard, they were helping boat owners to disembark from their passengers in a
bid to deter people from scrambling. When he asked the guard commander, he
said the ferries were not working for many hours, which was why passengers were
struggling to cross on board the boats. He said that a woman with her baby
were rescued from the river during the struggle to get a boat, that this was
why he deployed his guards to safe people’s lives. He also said some canoe
owners take advantage of the situation and carry people without given them life
jackets.
L.R.D GETS NEW GOVERNOR
By Abdou Yanka
Two days before the September 22nd Presidential elections, Mr. Momodou Soma
jobe was re appointed as Governor for the Lower River Division (LRD) Mr. Soma
Jobe had in the past served as the Commissioner of URD and NBD. His service
was terminated and he was subsequently arrested and charged for stealing over
four hundred bags of sugar, which was given to the people of North Bank
Division. However, the charges were later dropped by the state and he was
acquitted.
Mr. Jobe replaced Mr. Lamin F.S Manneh who was one time Mr. Jobe’s
assistant. The new Governor and some APRC militants in Jarra were in the past accused
of reporting civil servant for allegedly sympatising with the opposition. Now
that Mr. Jobe is made Governor, many people are living in fear. He had in
the past banned civil servants in the URD, from reading newspapers.
ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT MEDIA LAUNCHED
The Secretary of State for Communication, Neneh Macdouall Gaye has launched
the ICT for Development Media and Youth Networks in The Gambia.
Speaking at the launching ceremony on Friday she said The Gambia Government
in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
has identified stakeholder Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
programmes as a way of building a common understanding and vision among
stakeholders for utilizing ICT as a vehicle of support.
She remarked, “It is envisioned that this initiative will complement the
realization of the goals and objectives of vision 2020, the PRSP and MDGs
(Millenium Development Goals).
She pointed out “In April 2006, I had the privelege of signing a Memorandum
of Understanding with the United Nations Commission for Africa to
operationalise the media Network that was formulated in June 2005 at a multi stakeholder
workshop in Banjul. The UNECA provided a small grant of US$15, 000 to be
utilized over a period of three months, to support activities of a media
campaign for ICT for Development.”
She indicated that the main objective of the ICT 4D media Network is to
create a conducive and enabling environment for involvement of the media in
reporting, stimulating debates, raising awareness on the potential of ICT,
through the production of Radio and TV broadcasting programs, and newspaper
articles, as tools for development and implementing the ICT 4D media campaign.
“May I hasten to say that this event today also entails the formal launching
of the Youth Network on ICT 4D. I have been informed that the youths are
being guided to formulate a set of projects to access resources from a small
facility of up to 5, 000 UD dollars per project,” she remarked. She noted that
the ICT for development Media is to build capacity and establishment of a
sustainable functional and effective media network for ICT 4D promotion. She said
this can contribute to the implementation of an inclusive information
society in The Gambia.
“For the youth, as outlined by the WSIS Youth caucus, young people are users
and creators of Information and Communication Technologies. As early
adopters, adapters and innovators youth are stakeholders that have valuable input
into the development of a community and greatly affected by ICT policy,” she
posited.
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