Gambia Electoral Reform Support

jammeh

Hello,

Haruna Darbo would like you to support:

Gambia Electoral Reform Support

Donate below, or forward this email to a friend now. In Gambia, Yahya Jammeh’s political party,

The APRC is the only party allowed access to the National Radio and Television Network.

The APRC is the only party allowed use of government vehicles for election campaigns.

The APRC requires all government employees to support and vote for the party during elections or risk termination and dismissal.

The APRC imports citizens of Senegal from Cassamance, registers them, and enables them to vote for the party.

Gambian citizens who have been forced into exile by Yahya Jammeh, or have fled state persecution, are not allowed to vote during Gambia’s elections.

The opposition parties GMC, NRP, PDOIS, PPP, and The UDP, are required to obtain police permit to campaign, and when denied that permit as is generally the case, they are barred from campaigning and canvassing for votes.


The opposition political parties of Gambia are engaged in discussions with the Gambia Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), for free, fair, and transparent elections in Gambia. This fundraising effort will supplement those efforts for good elections in Gambia particularly to facilitate voting by Diaspora Gambians.

We seek your support.

http://www.gofundme.com/sku8gq4

Thank you.

Haruna Darbo

17 Comments

  1. Deyda Haidara

    Mr Haruna Darbo, with all due respect to you, do not put the cart before the horse.
    1- Let the political parties come up with the document signed by all of them that states all the electoral reforms required from the IEC.
    2- When these reforms are accepted and enacted in the electoral laws, then and only then can Gambians will consider funding the opposition.
    Discussing amongst themselves and engaging the IEC for the reforms do not require money.
    So please Haruna, please do not play with peoples’s intellegence and hard earn monies.

    • Hello Mr. Halake.

      Electoral Reform, where needed, is not the responsibility of opposition parties only. It is also the responsibility of the disenfranchised citizen. That notwithstanding, The Gambia Electoral Reform Support Fundraising is meant to:
      1. Strengthen the hands of the opposition parties in their negotiations with the “Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)”.
      2. Supplement the efforts of The IEC to complete the precepts of any agreement it might reach with the plaintiff parties where it finds itself otherwise constrained.
      3. Put in place a permanent Diaspora Electoral Commision who will work to yield Diaspora voting and maintain the franchise for diasporans to vote in every election henceforth.
      4. Enable this commission to partner with ECOWAS, the AU, and other agencies to ensure the integrity of such elections, to include registration and voting.

      I hope I have adequately responded to your query. Please accept my very best wishes.

      Thank you.

      • I apologize for addressing my friend Mr. Halake when I was addressing Mr. Haidara above. It was error on my part. I did not look at the last name properly and I was not expecting the name Deyda Haidara. Please forgive me.

  2. Lafia Touray la Manju

    UDP FUNDING gofund link for your kind donations:

    http://www.gofundme.com/s59h8x9h

  3. But is the IEC itself a free, fair and an independent commission? They must have had seen the same abuse by the Jammeh regime for two decades.
    How can it be assured that illegal voters are not coming from Cassamance to vote in the Gambian elections?
    Can all Gambians legible to vote, living in the diaspora be able to vote?

    I, think that the questions in the latter, that Haruna really helped me in outlining, are worthwhile for concern in our forthcoming elections, completely apart from the fact that we can voluntarily donate our hard earned monies to the cause.

    • Thank you Bourne for your comment.

      By all indications, the Gambia IEC is not adequately independent. It operates under the direct supervision of Yahya Jammeh. The free and fair cannot be expected where the IEC is not independent. That is why the opposition parties have embarked on due-diligent discussions with the IEC for electoral reform. The purpose of The Gambia Electoral Reform Support Fundraising is to demand and obtain positive rights for diasporans to vote in Gambia Elections and to strengthen the hand of the opposition parties in their discussions with the IEC. Neither of these purposes is concerned Illegal voters coming from Cassamance to vote in Gambia Elections. I share that even with a vrai Independent IEC, further monitoring and prosecution by law enforcement will be needed to curb illegal voting in Gambia elections.

      You have asked Bourne: “Can all Gambians legible to vote, living in the diaspora be able to vote?”

      The Gambia Electoral Reform Support is the first step toward ensuring all diaspora Gambians who are eligible to vote, are registered to vote and once registered, to facilitate their voting.

      I encourage you to support The Gambia Electoral Reform Support fundraising. I desire and seek your company in this effort. Please share your contact details with Kairo news editor that I may reach out to you for the opportunity to work together in this endeavor.

      Thank you again Bourne for your query.

      • Thank you Haruna, for shedding more light on what The Gambia Electoral Reform Support is about. I am definitely interested participating in such an endeavour as The Gambia Electoral Reform Support’s.

        • Thank you Bourne for your understanding and for your desire to work with us for commoner relief. Please share your contact details with Kairo editor to forward to me.

          We shall reach out to you for greater success.

      • Haruna: Thank you for the clarification. I must apologize for my misunderstanding of your message. Move on my brother and good luck and please ignore my below comment.
        Thanks a lot.

        • Thank you Yero for your greater understanding. I encourage you to join us in The Gambia Electoral Reform Support effort and to share our gofundme page with your colleagues and friends.

  4. Haruna: why is it only UDP raising funds on behalf of all opposition political parties in relation to electoral reform efforts? Are all the parties aware of the fund raising efforts and do they agree on this?
    Something appears not right in this drive and Haruna is yet to convince me.
    Sorry!

    • Hello Yero, Thank you for your questions and commentary.

      I was not aware UDP is raising funds on behalf of all opposition political parties in relation to electoral reform efforts. Perhaps I do not understand the question properly. I am not a member of UDP or any political party in Gambia, APRC or opposition. I am part of the Diaspora Gambian Community and Director of The Global Democracy Project. The opposition parties are not any more aware of The Gambia Electoral Reform Support Fundraising than you and I are. Yet. We will reach out to the opposition parties very soon to educate ourselves on their discussions with the Gambia IEC and to assess where they and or the IEC needs assistance for due-diligent completion of agreement. The agreement of the opposition parties is not required nor will it be sought to validate The Gambia Electoral Reform Support. The grace and partnership of the opposition parties and the IEC will be sought and where it is forthcoming, it will be much appreciated.

      All Gambians, resident or diasporan, who are eligible to vote, have a sacrosanct right to vote in their country’s elections to choose their leaders. That is a constitutional right. All Gambians, who are eligible to vote, have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. These rights do not accrue from the IEC, APRC, or the opposition political parties of Gambia. For greater success, the partnership of the IEC, APRC, GMC, GPDP, NRP, PDOIS, UDP, and Gambia civil society organizations will be aggressively sought.

      I hope I have answered your questions Yero to your satisfaction. I desire and seek your esteem company in The Gambia Electoral Reform Support Effort. Please share with the editor of Kairo news your contact details for an opportunity to work with you. I Thank you in advance of your support.

  5. Lafia Touray la Manju

    Yero Bah, where did you see UDP raising funds on behalf of all the opposition parties?? Yow werr nga??

  6. Lafia Touray la Manju,………………’ Yow werr nga ‘,…What do you mean by this Lafia? Na usaide go Lafia? Jang nin muntoh Lafia? Honto yahai Lafia?……………..Vraiment,… ca c’est pas possible.

  7. Lafia Touray la Manju

    Bourne, na me deh troubled by this pikin called Yero Bah. How he deh say things without basis. Aa go stop here woo!!

    Thanks

    • Ah okay, na yu di pikin deh say di tin with basis, tru tru mi na wan pikin udeh mek mistek…….Ah okay dis na Lafia. Super Lafia.
      Dis no for go long long. Aa go stop here so.
      Oops what is all these above?…. I am going now, to go through the SI’s advice to the Gambians urging them to show respect to their opposition parties’ leaders,………..Isn’t that a good idea?

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