Courtesy of Daily Observer

Tuesday, June 12, 2001
AS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION APPROACHES GAMBIAN PRESS COMPLAINS TO UN TEAM

by Mercy Eze

Members of the Gambian press Friday complained to the visiting two-man
United Nations (UN) delegation of their ordeal in the hands of the Gambian
government. Robin Ludwig, senior political/ adviser, Electoral Assistance
Division, at the UN Department of Peace-keeping Operations and her
colleague, Christian Nadeau, are on a week-long visit to the country aimed
at assessing the country's electoral process leading to presidential polls
in October. The UN team disclosed at Friday's press briefing that their
visit was in connection with an invitation extended to the UN by The
Gambia's Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), following the UN
secretary-general's (Kofi Annan) discussions with the Gambian authorities
during his last year's visit.

They added that their findings would determine whether or not the UN would
send observers to monitor the forthcoming general elections. The GPU
chairman, Demba Jawo, briefed the UN team on the difficulties facing
journalists in the country, especially as they relate to the coverage of the
on-going voter registration exercise and other political activities in the
country. He dwelt on the harassment of journalists, anti-press clauses
contained the constitutions, and the discrepancies surrounding the voter
registration exercise. Other media executives, Swaebou Conateh of News and
Report Magazine, Yorro Jallow of The Independent Newspaper, Babucarr Gaye of
Citizen FM Radio, George Christensen of FM 1 Radio, and Sam Sarr of Foroyaa
Newspaper, spoke along the same lines, expressing worries at the false alarm
over cross-carpeting from one party to another "all in an attempt to confuse
the press and the entire public."

The meeting also called to mind the sacking of the Anglican bishop Tilewa
Johnson as IEC chairman, noting that the commission under Gabriel Robert "is
threatened with extinction for trying to ensure its independence." Stressing
that Gambians, like other nationals, rely on the UN for unadulterated
democracy, the meeting called on UN to do everything possible to assist The
Gambia to have a free and fair election in October. "One of the criteria in
terms of guaranteeing free and fair elections demands the UN taking over the
funding of IEC," the meeting informed the visiting delegates. The press
encounter was chaired by Cherno Jallow, GPU secretary-general.

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