Gambia: Views of parties’ on
polling day
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| Voters dropped marbles into containers marked with the contestant's names [AFP] |
Parties to Gambia’s 2011 presidential election gave their
final views and comments on November 24, 2011 shortly after casting their
votes, while the outcome of the results remain uncertain even when the
incumbent was largely regarded favourite.
The clash
“I was disappointed by the disgraceful and outrageous
fabrication by the office of the President that my convoy attacked the ruling
party APRC supporters near a military check point at Camp Fenda.
There could not be more fabrication than that,” lawyer Ousainou Darboe, candidate
for the United Democratic Party (UDP) stressed, while describing the
election campaign as peaceful. “I want to tell the office of the president that
they should act with decorum. This is what can bring disrespect for the office
of the president. If an institution as high as that can engage in fabrication,
I think this country is in for trouble.”
The Alliance
for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) – led by the incumbent,
Yahya AJJ Jammeh had on the eve of the polls accused the UDP of attacking his
convoy on the final days of the campaign. This was relayed in a press statement
through the “office of the president”.
However, Mr Darboe argues that “it was supporters of the
APRC who threw stones at his supporters and that the Army Commander at Camp Fenda
had to drive-out literally a vehicle of the APRC that got into his convoy.
“Where it not for the Army commander in charge of that area,
there would have been a problem,” Darboe said. “Nobody will suppress our people
in this country, if those people think that they are in charge of the security
and that they can do whatever they want, they are making a mistake. Nobody will subject our people to any mock
trial in this country. We have always been law abiding.
He also noted that he expects to emerge victorious and would
be disappointed if that did not happen, while adding that the people of the
Gambia are now ready to take charge of their destiny. “Our expectation of
victory is not just a fancy but delegated on the behavior and attitude of the
people.”
Not free and fair
“Well just go to
McCarthy Square (now July 22nd Square), you will find armored
vehicles packed there, that shows intimidation because it is intended to
intimidate the people in that area as if we are in a state of conflict. I am
sure the same would be the case in Foni,” Darboe said, referring to the ECOWAS statement.
“This is one of the reasons why ECOWAS have decided to stay away. However, we
want this election to be as peaceful as possible. I tried to speak with the IEC
Chairman, Alhagie Mustapha L. Carayol but I could not get him.”
The Sub-regional economic bloc withdrew from monitoring the
elections, and proclaims on the eve of the polls that “it will neither be free
nor fair” on grounds that everything is happening under a climate of fear. And
that the political environment did not meet the minimum standards for the
conduct of polls.
When Yahya AJJ Jammeh, APRC candidate casted his ballot, he told the media that he can’t speak on ECOWAS’s
position because Commissioner James Victor Gbeho who signed the statement “Is a
junior official”. “He is just like a Permanent Secretary”.
He also dismisses the
possibility of “working” with the opposition provided that he won the
elections.
“I do not have any
opposition in this country and I will not work with them,” Jammeh said. “If
they were people who want peace and stability for this country, am ready to
work with them. They have gone around
the world to tarnish the image of this country, in this country, we fear only
God, and I will not follow anybody. I follow only God, my religion and my
people. ”
Misrule
Nobody can tell me
about democracy, Jammeh argued. “In 17 years I have delivered more than what
the British were able to deliver in more than 400 years of misrule in this
country,” he stressed, but says he will accept the results and go farming if he
were to loose.
He also warns that he
will not allow the press to destabilise the peace of the country. “The
journalists are less than one percent of the population. And If anybody expects
me to allow one percent of the population to destabilise 99 percent of the population
you are in the wrong place,” he said.
Asked if he’d run for
the presidency in 2016, Jammeh said: “I don’t decide what I will do and I will
go to elections as long as Gambians want me, if the Gambians don’t want me I go
to Kanilai and continue farming.”
Mr. Hamat Bah, the Independent Candidate casted his vote at his native rural-Gambia
(Saloum district) and was not available for comment, but the Secretary General of People for Democratic Organisation for
Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), Mr Halifa Sallah, whose party is one of
four, backing the candidature of Mr Bah, said people must respect the decision
of the West African economic bloc, ECOWAS.
Respect ECOWAS
position
“They do not look at who has acquired a voter card, who
voting or not voting or what the campaign is like. They look at the generality
of our institutions, they came to the country and look at all our institutions
and they have taken a position so people should respect that,” he said. “So you can ask them why they have taken that
position and they will be able to explain if they are responsible people.”
He said: “As political parties, we have decided to take on
this government despite the fact that it is not committed to the fundamentals
of democratic principles and we know that.” “But we are taking it on to show
that it does not own the country and the people. It’s will, will not
prevail.”
“This is the most fundamental political decision that the
Gambian people are making. You can see that 2011 is a very decisive period
after 17 years of one individual leading the country,” he said, referring to
the importance of the election. “Everybody is beginning to realise that change
is necessary because the objective of having a president is to have someone who
will be entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the
country.”
Monarchy
The issue of crowning Yahya Jammeh “king” was widespread
early this year with local chief, who have been described as “political tools”
by the opposition, taking the lead. But Mr Halifa Sallah said: “I will never live under a monarchy. I
would rather die than to live under a monarchy.” “Like the president use to
say, if that happens, then I’ll be buried six feet deep.”
Polling stations officially closed in Banjul at 4pm local time with a high voter
turnout recorded. International election observers certify the voting process
smooth and peaceful, but noted that there were no opposition agents in some of
the polling stations they’ve visited.
Author: Modou S. Joof
The author is a Gambian journalist, News Editor of The Voice Newspaper in Banjul and Publisher of The North Bank Evening Standard.
Follow me on twitter: (@Msjoof)
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