Opposition to Be Taught a Lesson in 2011 Election Declares President Jammeh, As the First Family Gets Registered

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Hatab Fadera

17 June 2011

The Gambian leader has expressed confidence that he will score a landslide victory at the forthcoming presidential elections, saying that his party, the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) will teach the opposition a lesson in the November 24th polls.

His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, who alongside the First Lady of the Republic, Her Excellency Madam Zeineb Yahya Jammeh registered to acquire their first-ever biometric voters’ card was speaking Thursday afternoon at State House in Banjul during an interview with journalists. The First Family, who got registered in the presence of the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Alhaji Mustapha Carayol, and the secretary general and head of the Civil Service, Ousman Jammeh were exercising their constitutional rights as other Gambians in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise which kicked-off on the 5th May and ends today, 17th June 2011. Their registration comes at a time when the IEC has almost registered over 800,000 voters in their over month-long exercise.

“Gambians are very grateful people and they are development-oriented. We are going to teach the opposition a lesson – for all the oppositions in Africa that oppose progressive development-oriented governments. This will be the final forty days charity for opposition in this country. I have been swearing and of course there will be areas that do not want development – they can vote for the opposition – that’s their problem. This will be the fourth election and so enough is enough. This time around it is very clear that if you vote against development; don’t expect development,” the Gambian leader stated, while renewing his relentless stance in defending and protecting the interest and resources of the Gambia, and Africa in general. The Gambian leader asserted that in defending the resources and interests of The Gambia, he doesn’t mind what title being given to him by detractors.

‘Best electoral system’

Commenting on The Gambia’s electoral system, President Jammeh underpinned that this country’s electoral system “is the best” , saying it is full proved. This, he noted is why all those countries where elections are rigged will not use The Gambia’s electoral system. The unique and transparent nature of The Gambia’s electoral system, President Jammeh posited, would not encourage others to use it due to the fact that it cannot be rigged or be cheated.

He maintained that the country’s electoral system, cannot be faulted, asserting that anyone who said elections in this country are not free and fair is not truthful in the sense that no results can be sent to the IEC headquarters from any polling station without all the parties confirming that this are the number of votes counted. The president noted that in The Gambia’s electoral system, the votes are counted in the presence of every representative, with the results then signed and endorsed by all the representatives of political parties at the polling station before they are sent to the IEC headquarters for announcement.

He continued: “So, now where would you cheat because I don’t expect that my APRC representative there would allow APRC to be cheated and then sign knowing that APRC has been cheated. But you see the problem here is that if you have enemies [whom] even if you dance in water they said you are raising dust. They can say whatever they want but one thing I know I will not change my position vis-à-vis my defense for Africa or blacks; and I will not change my position vis-à-vis the defense of the interest of the Gambian people. That’s what I live for and that’s what I [will] die for. Let them say what they want to say.”

The Gambian leader observed that most of those people talking are not even Gambians in view of the fact that they have already sold their country; denounced their citizenship of this country to become citizens of other countries. “Unfortunately they end up becoming dish washers. They should not blame anybody for that because they have denounced their citizenship. What type of Gambians are we talking about? People that can sell their country just to have citizenship of another country that are advanced. So you don’t listen to those people,” he stated. The president further stated that those people can say whatever they want; pointing out that what is important is for the Gambians to vote for whom they want to. “I don’t care who say the election is not fair or is fair. As long as Gambians are satisfied for voting whom they want, that is the most important thing,” he added.

Biometric voter registration system

Also commenting on the new biometric voter registration system, a digital process, which is being used in the country’s electoral system for the first time, the Gambian leader described as very high quality the voters’ card it produces. He expressed his government’s resolve to strive for any system, be it electoral or otherwise, that will ensure there is transparency and no corruption.

Proud of IEC

President Jammeh also noted that his government is very proud of the IEC, recalling that the idea of the IEC in Africa started in The Gambia. He recalled: “When we set up the PIEC [Provisional Independent Electoral Commission in December 1995], how many countries in Africa had IEC because the elections are either entrusted to the Ministry of the Interior in Francophone African countries and Ministry of Local Governments in Anglophone African countries. So we came up with a permanent structure or institution called the Independent Electoral Commission. In some countries they set it up shortly before elections and dissolve them after elections. The idea of free and transparent election came from us. The former system, it was the permanent secretary, Ministry of Local Governments who was the returning officer and they say there was democracy.”

Register to vote

The Gambian leader enjoined all those Gambians of voting age to not only register but vote in the upcoming elections; saying it is their constitutional right to decide the future leadership of this country. “The power that you have is your voters’ card. So I think every Gambian of voting age should really come out and register. But it is not only good to have the voters’ card but also important for you to vote. In some countries it is a criminal offence not to vote because it is a constitutional requirement that all people of voting age should vote because by doing that you are demonstrating that you have a say in the way you are governed,” he underscored.

The Gambian leader however cautioned that the biometric voters’ card is not a national identity card, thus enjoining all that have registered to ensure a safe keeping for their cards until November 24th when they should vote.

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