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Momodou
Denmark
11717 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Jun 2011 : 17:38:56
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Foroyaa Editorial: 12 DAYS LEFT TO GET POWER AND VOICE TO SAY WHO GOVERNS YOUR COUNTRY
By Publisher on 06-06-11
The Independent Electoral Commission has informed the Nation that as at 1st June 2011 six hundred and eighty six thousand nine hundred and eighty five (685,985) voters have so far registered after four weeks of registration. This is already more than the total registered voters before the 2006 Presidential Elections.
Our crude reflection is that most of those who registered are young Gambians. Of course, there is evidence that some people who are under age and others who are not Gambian citizens have relied on attestation forms to register. In our view that should not discourage anybody from registering. Once those who are qualified to register perform their duty as citizens of this country it would be impossible for the voices of those who are not qualified to be louder than theirs. Those who are not qualified could only have power to decide who manages the affairs of the country if those who are qualified sit idly by and look at the situation in a helpless manner. The first safeguard to ensure that those who are qualified will have the bigger say in an election is for them to be registered. Hence those who are aware that the Voter’s Card stands for our power and voice to say how our country is governed should go house to house to educate those who are not aware to know that if they do not possess a Voter’s Card they would be the same as any living thing in the Gambia that does not have a voice or say on how Gambia is run. Right without power is sterile. Talking in ‘Vous’ and writing in newspapers to claim rights are meaningless if we do not compliment our right with the acquisition of a Voter’s Card to be able to back words with deeds.
Of course there are reports of the same Attestants putting their thumb prints or signatures on forms of close to one thousand voters in certain Registration centres. The revising court will take care of some anomalies if people take the initiative to vet the list of voters after its publication and raise objections. We may publish some of our findings later. To adhere to the principle of evidence based reporting, we have asked those who found lost documents of a musician to take them to the IEC so that they could get the former Liberian refugee who had acquired a Gambian Voter’s Card under a Gambian name to confess how the Attestants convinced him to do so.
This confirms that some people are still trying to beat the system to their detriment. Many people are ignorant of the fact that their thumb prints have already been taken. People’s names and pictures would appear on the list of voters. The Attestants are also required to put the numbers of their voter’s cards. Hence their numbers and pictures could easily be traced. It is best for people to avoid embarrassment by attesting to the forms of claimants they know to be qualified.
Finally the IEC should call for an Amendment of the provision that required those who need ID Cards to rely on a Voter’s Card.This is likely to encourage people to get voter’s cards as a step to get ID cards. The IEC should make it a rule that the Voter’s Card should be utilised for no other purpose than to identify oneself in coming to cast one’s vote in an election. This is the way to discourage many people who want Identity cards from getting voters cards.
Allow us to conclude by reminding the citizenry again that the easiest way to be an insignificant, voiceless and powerless person in a country is to lack a Voter’s Card.
GO AND GET YOUR CARD. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE
Source: Foroyaa
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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