(JollofNews) -The chairman of the Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Alieu Momarr Njai, has assured political leaders and stakeholders that next month’s presidential election will be free, fair and transparent.
The small West African nation of less than two million people will hold presidential election on 1st December with 886, 578 Gambians expected to vote, according official figures from the electoral commission.
President Yahya Jammeh who has ruled the Gambia since July 1994 is being challenged by Mamma Kandeh of the Gambia Democratic Congress party (GDC) and Adama Barrow, who is heading a coalition of eight opposition parties.
Nominations for the election are already taking place this week before the parties begin their campaign from 16th to 29th November.
And while opposition parties have expressed concerns about the transparency of the election, the electoral commission’s boss said the results of the elections is rigged-proof and would reflect the wishes of the voters.
“Gambian election cannot be rigged by anybody, practically and academically,” he said.
“The electoral process will be fair and transparent before polling starts as all the party agents and security personnel will ensure that the polling booths and ballot drums are totally empty.
“We have over 10, 000 people out there in the field who were randomly recruited, trained and posted to the different polling stations.”
And while calling on political leaders to be civil, law abiding and to respect the wishes of the electorates, Chairman Njai added: “When you win, you should know that the voters have voted for you and when you lose you should know the voters didn’t vote for you.”
