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Momodou
Denmark
11715 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jul 2025 : 21:05:10
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PUBLIC STATEMENT 9th July 2025
EFSCRJ Welcomes the Appointment of the Chair and Vice Chair of the IEC
Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice welcomes the appointment of the new Chairperson and Vice for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). We note with concern that the appointment of these leaders is coming at a critical juncture in the history of the Gambia characterized by a constrained transitional justice process and major governance challenges. Among these challenges include the IEC itself which is currently under police investigation following severe audit queries, amidst other controversies relating to its conduct of elections, professionalism, and independence.
Apart from the controversy that had surrounded the tenure of the previous Chair, the IEC is also in the centre of the issue of diaspora voting. Furthermore, several management, technical and operational issues and concerns relating to the conduct of elections have been raised about the IEC by both domestic and international election observers. For example, the enforcement of the Elections Act to ensure the incumbent does not abuse state resources for elections remains lingering. Voter registration is another contentious issue in which IEC has come under severe criticism. IEC has not been quite effective in monitoring and holding accountable political parties, politicians, and their supporters for electoral and campaign malpractices. In essence, EFSCRJ shares the concerns of several stakeholders that the IEC has not been effective in the enforcement of the electoral law which is one of the reasons for the uncontrolled and polarizing political environment in the country.
It is considering these reasons, that we welcome the new Chair Joseph Kolley who is a veteran of the institution therefore armed with the requisite institutional memory. We hold that Mr. Kolley has all the opportunity today to ensure effective transformation of the IEC through professional and institutional development and the strengthening of its enforcement capacity to deliver a more free, fair, and transparent elections in the Gambia. As someone who has lived through the trials and tribulations of the IEC both during the dictatorship and in the current dispensation, we urge Mr. Kolley to engage in a deep introspection with a view to turning around the IEC into a modern, effective, and transparent organization.
In the same vein, we highly welcome the appointment of Mr. Cherno Jallow as the Vice Chair of the IEC. Given his longstanding work and experience in the international scene in the areas of policy and governance, Mr. Jallow brings immense expert value to the IEC with which to significantly improve the standard and quality of elections in the country. There is no doubt that Mr. Jallow is quite familiar with the legal, institutional, policy, and governance issues confronting the Gambia and Africa, hence his wealth of experience is instrumental in strengthening the electoral body. We have learnt of Mr. Jallow’s personality as a man of character who is rooted in principles, faith, and professionalism hence we warmly welcome and urge him to deliver his best to the nation that we all share.
In welcoming these two gentlemen to these most important positions, we remind them that ESFCRJ shall remain vigilant in holding them against the standards of transparency and accountability.
2025 – The Year of Transparency and Accountability
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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EFSCRJ: PUBLIC STATEMENT 9th July 2025
