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Momodou
Denmark
11765 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 13:25:14
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TEN OBSERVERS FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
A ten-member multi disciplinary team of election observers from the African Union Commission will participate in the January 25th parliamentary elections.
According to a statement from the team, the observers are led by Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana. The other members include Pan African Parliamentarians, Members of electoral management bodies, civil society organizations and other officials drawn from various African Countries.
The team arrived in the Gambia on 19th January and was preceded by an advance support group which arrived two days earlier in order to make logistical arrangements for the observer team.
"The AU mission, as a neutral non-partisan group, shall endeavour to make an honest, independent, impartial and objective assessment of the organization and conduct of the elections as well as evaluate the likely factors that may impinge on the credibility of the election process as a whole and determine whether the conditions exist for a free and fair expression of the will of the people , and whether the outcome of the elections truly reflect the wishes of the people of the Gambia," according to a statement from the team.
The AU observer mission will meet and discuss with the political stakeholders, electoral officials, civil society organizations, and interact with other observer groups as well as assess the various shades of opinion of the body politics of the Gambia. They are expected to observe the various stages of the elections so as to enable the team determine the transparency, fairness and credibility of the elections.
They will remain in the country until 31 January when all the results would have been announced.
Meanwhile, other international observers in the country include the commonwealth.
A coalition of domestic civil society organizations is also taking part to observe the process.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 010/2007, 24-25 January, 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 16:31:16
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| Then I am sure everything will be just fine....... |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 16:31:16
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| Then I am sure everything will be just fine....... |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 16:45:46
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Bravo AU Observers have already arrived in Gambia. Who says Africans can't put their own house in order. This diffinately is a positive move in the right direction setting a stage for fair, free and transparent elections.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 16:45:46
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Bravo AU Observers have already arrived in Gambia. Who says Africans can't put their own house in order. This diffinately is a positive move in the right direction setting a stage for fair, free and transparent elections.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 18:10:19
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The Observers wherever they come from do not have full view of things. In Jammeh's Gambia, the electoral system is the most infected fraud virus. No amount of O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N is remedy to the already broken process. It is still no harm to have observers. |
Karamba |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 18:10:19
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The Observers wherever they come from do not have full view of things. In Jammeh's Gambia, the electoral system is the most infected fraud virus. No amount of O-B-S-E-R-V-A-T-I-O-N is remedy to the already broken process. It is still no harm to have observers. |
Karamba |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 19:05:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Sister Omega
Bravo AU Observers have already arrived in Gambia. Who says Africans can't put their own house in order. This diffinately is a positive move in the right direction setting a stage for fair, free and transparent elections.
Peace
Sister Omega
Who observes who? Is it the story of a kettle calling a pot black. You cant throw stones if you live in a glass house.
Sorry, am not sure how many countries in Africa can stand up and be counted in the area of good governance. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 19:05:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Sister Omega
Bravo AU Observers have already arrived in Gambia. Who says Africans can't put their own house in order. This diffinately is a positive move in the right direction setting a stage for fair, free and transparent elections.
Peace
Sister Omega
Who observes who? Is it the story of a kettle calling a pot black. You cant throw stones if you live in a glass house.
Sorry, am not sure how many countries in Africa can stand up and be counted in the area of good governance. |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:17:34
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| We are still developing. So half a loaf is better than none. Development is a process. It would be an insult to have non-africans coming in as observers. When shall we grow? |
madiss |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:17:34
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| We are still developing. So half a loaf is better than none. Development is a process. It would be an insult to have non-africans coming in as observers. When shall we grow? |
madiss |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:20:21
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Kons just imagine if there were no obeservers at the elections.I can already hear the opposition crying they're unfair. I think the APRC is showing Political maturity by granting AU Observers into Gambia to observer the NA elections. The AU is quite capable of observing the election process to monitor to see whether they are free and fair despite what sceptics may believe.
I still think this is a positive step in the right direction and its good to see AU taking an active step to support the inclusion of all parties and Indpendents standing for election and to oversee that Gambia voters are denied their voting rights. Barking at the moon can't change nothing. But actions speak louder than words.
peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 25 Jan 2007 20:27:43 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:20:21
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Kons just imagine if there were no obeservers at the elections.I can already hear the opposition crying they're unfair. I think the APRC is showing Political maturity by granting AU Observers into Gambia to observer the NA elections. The AU is quite capable of observing the election process to monitor to see whether they are free and fair despite what sceptics may believe.
I still think this is a positive step in the right direction and its good to see AU taking an active step to support the inclusion of all parties and Indpendents standing for election and to oversee that Gambia voters are denied their voting rights. Barking at the moon can't change nothing. But actions speak louder than words.
peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
Edited by - Sister Omega on 25 Jan 2007 20:27:43 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:34:12
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Kondorong,
In strong support of your concerns, there is ample evidence to show how corrupt African leaders play the theatre of pretending as genuine referees. When Gambians heard that Obasanjo committed IEC and political parties of Gambia on the so called MOU, it sounded like everything was fine. How much can Gambians rely on the strictness of Obasanjo when Big Brother has his own cheeks swelling with junk? Try the link below and see if it drives any message home:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200701250489.html |
Karamba |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:34:12
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Kondorong,
In strong support of your concerns, there is ample evidence to show how corrupt African leaders play the theatre of pretending as genuine referees. When Gambians heard that Obasanjo committed IEC and political parties of Gambia on the so called MOU, it sounded like everything was fine. How much can Gambians rely on the strictness of Obasanjo when Big Brother has his own cheeks swelling with junk? Try the link below and see if it drives any message home:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200701250489.html |
Karamba |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2007 : 20:36:45
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Of course it's a good idea to have observers and having observers will, one hopes, have some effect.
But the idea that having observers will make the elections free and fair is, I fear, a little on the naive side. It just depends what, exactly, the mandate of the observers actually is....
Still - it is good to hope and I sincerely hope they observe carefully ........ (before, during and after....)
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