Gambian Opposition Poised To Disallow Electoral Malpractices

Opposition parties in The Gambia are pulling their forces together to ensure that no electoral malpractices occur come the forthcoming circle of presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.

"The process has started," said Omar Jallow alias OJ, the leader of the opposition PPP. "It is normal that in negotiations, statements are not made until when an agreement is reached."

The Gambia’s political temperature is rising slowly, but surely as the country gears for its ninth presidential elections since independence in 1965, which is slated for the later quarter of 2011.

Three presidential elections were conducted under the current military-turned civilian regime – 1996, 2001 and 2006 - which were deemed free and fair, but the opposition disagreed with the judgment in the face of the hostile political climate prevailing since the military took-over in 1994.

"In The Gambia the opposition is termed unpatriotic. We are being arrested. There is so much bias in the use of public media which is being sustained by the people. The suppression and hostile environment for the press is making it difficult for an inclusive multi-party dispensation," O J, whose PPP is still struggling to regroup after the soldiers ended their thirty-year-rule told Daily news in an interview recently.

"Fundamental [electoral] norms must be respected if [presidential] elections are to take place in 2011," he vowed. "There are measures being put in place to ensure that all opposition parties speak with one voice. We are going to involve all major stakeholders," he added.

And when quizzed if their complaints will this time make any difference, he said, "this time if we do it collectively, we will make an impact."

OJ, who returned from Tanzania recently where he participated as commonwealth election observer admitted his impression about the democratic dispensation in that country, which has just held multi-party elections.

"Unlike the hostilities that take place in other African countries, there has been no hostility between the ruling party and the opposition" he said. "The campaigns, voting and counting were done in a free and transparent atmosphere."

He added that it is about time African leaders stop seeing the opposition as unpatriotic, but rather bonafide citizens interested in the development of their respective countries.