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Momodou
Denmark
11818 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Sep 2006 : 23:15:53
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MUNICIPAL GUARDS ACCUSED OF SEIZING VOTERS’ CARDS
Fabakary B. Ceesay
The security service of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) were on Thursday, 31st August 2006, alleged to have been asking vendors in the Serrekunda market to handover their voters’ cards to them. An eye witness to this alleged malpractice informed Foroyaa that the KMC police were going round the market and asking people, mostly women, to handover their voters’ cards. According to sources, they were told that their cards will be returned to them shortly before the elections. Sources added that the vendors were told that opposition elements were on the campaign to collect voters’ cards from people and even asking children to steal their parent’s voters’ cards so that they will not vote for Jammeh.
However, when this reporter visited the market, he discovered from women vendors that the KMC police were on the ground asking them to give them their voters’ cards for safekeeping. A woman, who claimed to be from Sukuta, said that she was approached by two KMC officers who demanded to see her voter’s card. According to her, she told them that she did not come with her card. She was advised by the officers to bring it the following day. “I don’t know why they asked me to bring my voter’s card. If it is for safety reasons, I can keep it in my house!” She said. A vegetable seller at the former garage pointed out that, she will never give her card to anybody; that because she heard on the radio that the IEC is warning people not to give or sell their cards to anybody. An old woman in her 60s said she had promised to bring her voters’ card the following day. She told this reporter that the KMC police are the authority in the market and that she feels unsecured by failing to bring her card to them. Another woman noted that she had seen three women handing out their voter’s cards to the KMC police. This reporter visited the municipal office in the market, but found the office almost empty.
Only two officers were present in the office. When this reporter contacted the KMC spokesperson, PRO Kalifa Sanyang to confirm the credibility of the allegation, he told the reporter to meet him at his office the following day, Friday. Unfortunately, this reporter spent two hours at the KMC premises but the KMC PRO was no where to be found.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 73/2006, 4-5 September, 2006
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