It is not only an ancient method of voting but has potential for possible fraud. With the technology and computers available these days the marbles can be replaced with punch cards or keyboards.

The only question is how many Gambians in the rural areas and even in the capital city of Banjul  can operate them without help?

I just read in the Washington post last week that the state of Virginia is giving Haiti  all of it's voting machines ( in good operating conditions  but considered outdated since the highly disputed Florida elections of President George Bush vs Al Gore) They even had a non profit organization here in Washington DC pay for it at a discounted price.

 

It might not be a bad idea if Mr. Roberts check out the same possibilities with say the state of Maryland  or one of the other states considering doing the same ( ie changing /upgrading their voting systems).   

It is getting cold here . You can Take some of it and send us the warm weather.

Habib

>From: Y C Jow <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Observer Gambia Gets 1.5 Million More Marbles >Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 17:34:09 EST > >Hi everyone: >I just culled this from the Observer. For some reason, the word "marbles" >kinda has a negative connotation, especially when it someone "loses their >marbles." Nevertheless, sentiment aside, do you realize that Gambia is the >only country which still uses this archaic system of voting. Furthermore, I >also was wondering who manufactures the ballot boxes as well as the IEC's >role in making sure that such boxes are tamper proof. Apparently, there is >some type of device in the box which rings like a bicycle bell each time a >marble is cast. > >I think it is high time this 'marble' system is revised. > > > >IEC gets new ballot tokensI 1.5 million marbles arrive for elections >One and half million new ballot marbles from the Republic of China on Taiwan >were presented to President Jammeh at State House Monday to replace previous >tokens used in the last Presidential election. >The tokens were handed over to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) >chairman, Mr Gabriel Roberts through President Jammeh in the presence of vice >president Mrs Isatou Njie-Saidy and several cabinet members. >In his remarks, the Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan, Mr Edgar >Lin, said he was really overwhelmed, noting that the marbles were not toys >but wholesome and very noble tools of democracy. >“When I learnt that Gambians were using these marble tokens for elections, I >was rather amused and puzzled as to how they do this and after I had learnt >about this, I had ‘two psalms’ for Gambians for this particular unique >culture of election. >If you look at the history and development of the marble, of course they are >used as weapons and then later on they became toys, and now in the 21st >century, I begin to see that there is another use - using them for a symbol >of the people's power for election and I can see the progressive stages of >the use of the marble...,” Ambassador Lin remarked. >He expressed his pleasure and honour to be part of this endeavour and hoped >that this presentation and the use of these marbles, would symbolise the >friendship and the political solidarity between these two great countries. >He reassured President Jammeh that from then on, all the election marbles for >The Gambia would be the responsibility of his government. In his remarks, >President Jammeh after thanking the Republic of China on Taiwan for what he >called their quick response to their request, said during elections, there >were many complaints from stalwart APRC supporters. >“In fact, three days before the election, the opposition UDP went around, >telling them that I was not interested in running but there was no way I >could tell the people and that I wanted people to vote for the opposition and >that was why the tokens were going to be in yellow colour. So as a result, >people threatened not to vote. >APRC supporters said they were not going to vote if that was the case. We >told them no. I don't know how the yellow tokens came about but that has >nothing to do with what they are telling you. >Whatever they are telling you is rubbish. But we realised that if the tokens >were green, our victory would not have been accepted by the UDP. They would >have said that we manipulated the election to the extent that the tokens were >even painted green. >And they would have had worst things to say about the IEC, but we showed >maturity. We didn't complain about the colour of the tokens which had a >devastating psychological effect on our supporters. We allowed that to pass. >However we wanted tokens that would not represent any party and as a result, >I spoke to the foreign minister to talk to our friends, the Taiwanese to >bring - if they can manufacture tokens that would represent no colour. As a >result, we were given the assurance that it would be done before the >parliamentary elections and subsequent elections,” Jammeh said. >He said they requested from the manufactures 1.5 million tokens to cover all >the voter population of the country which he said could serve for the next >fifteen years. >He said the marbles were handed over in the open and in boxes and is to make >sure that they did not enter his office. “I don't think any- body can >complain that these represent any party,” Jammeh said, adding that the >marbles were the instruments that would determine who led this country and in >what capacity. >The chairman of IEC, Gabriel Roberts, thanked the Republic of China on Taiwan >for the generosity. > > > > > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<> > >To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > ><>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>//\\<>