‘Gambians need a new leader…’, says Henry Gomez

Henry Gomez: " Gambia Need new Leader."

By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger

“Gambians need a new leader, and all what we are calling for is change. People are yearning for change because 17 years of APRC leadership is enough,” declared the leader of the opposition Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress, Henry Gomez.

He told this reporter, in an exclusive interview yesterday, that recent talks held by the opposition to form a united front ahead of the presidential election, were not a failure.

He added that hopes are still alive that the issue of a united opposition front will come to fruition, ahead of the scheduled Presidential Election on November 24.

In his view, the issue of alliance is bigger than the wishes of all of the opposition political leaders, because the interest of Gambians is at stake, something which should be put into consideration.

Gomez urged his fellow politicians to put aside their selfish interest, and work towards the betterment of all Gambians.

Citing the outcome of the recent election in Zambia, Gomez said that such a development can also happen in The Gambia, as Gambians are yearning for a change.

“We believe in democracy and, come 24 November, Gambians will have a new leader and new party. The APRC leadership has to leave after 17 years bearing the mantle,” he added.

Explaining the outcome of the recent consultations of opposition leaders, Henry Gomez said the talks held by the opposition, to form a united front ahead of the presidential election, were not a failure.

Gomez went on to dismiss remarks that the talks by the opposition leaders failed, describing such comments as baseless and lacking substance.

“Our discussions were frank; we did not quarrel, because we are all matured politicians; but let people know that there was no failure in the opposition talks.

“The problem is there are two ways that the opposition leaders are looking at. One is the issue of a convention, and the other is that of a party-led alliance,” Gomez continued.

Having been denied the chance to contest the 2006 elections, Gomez said he is ready to throw his weight behind any opposition candidate chosen by Gambians.

According to him, political party leaders and Gambians, in general, should allow a convention, which he said is the norm in other countries.

“So why should The Gambia be an exception to this convention. When we practice it in The Gambia, other countries will also learn from us, and this is the beauty of democracy,” he further stated.

“I am in for a convention, because we cannot have a party-led alliance; a party-led alliance in my own opinion is undemocratic. We as leaders are chosen by Gambians, and we should respect the decision of the people,” he said, adding that Gambians have to be given the opportunity to choose their leaders.

Gomez said he and Halifa Sallah of PDOIS agreed on the need to hold primaries for Gambians to choose their leaders, adding ,that is what Gambians need, at the moment, in order to pose a threat to the ruling APRC party and incumbent President Yahya Jammeh’s 17-year rule.

Confusion over election campaign period

Confusion erupted at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) yesterday following argument between representatives of political parties and the Commission, about the stipulated 11 days official campaign period for the forthcoming Presidential Election slated for Thursday 24th November.

While opposition party leaders declared that the stipulated time frame for the campaign, which runs from the 12th to 22nd November, is “grossly inadequate”, the IEC chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Carayol, said the campaign will take place as scheduled, and the dates cannot be changed.

The deputy IEC chairman, Malleh Sallah, added that not changing the dates does not mean that the election will not be free and fair.

“In fact, this election will be the most free and fair election ever held in The Gambia,” he added.

Also raised at a press conference held at the Election House yesterday was the issue of people who registered more than once, and what measures the IEC should take to address such malpractices.

Halifa Sallah - PDOIS

First to raise the issue was Halifa Sallah, Secretary General of the Peoples Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), who asked for the views of the IEC on the need to review the campaign period from the stipulated 11 days to something closer to three weeks or a month.

“The IEC has up to 30 days since after the date of nomination is declared before elections. So we are considering a review of the campaign period from the 11 days to something closer to a month or three weeks,” he said.

Sallah also said he is not insisting that those who registered more than once, and failed to surrender the other cards be taken before a court, but is insisting that the IEC publishes the names of those people to shame them, so as to avoid a repetition of such malpractice.

“Something ought to be done to teach those people and the rest of the Gambian people that to conduct themselves in such a way is not only unlawful, but disgraceful,” Sallah stated.

Ousainou Darboe - UDP

Ousainou Darboe, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party, UDP, stated that a free and fair election is more the business of Gambians than going through the motions of elections and making it the business of Gambians.

“It is not unprecedented for election dates to be announced and postponed. That is not unprecedented in the world. The law doesn’t say that when campaign periods are declared, it is not subject to change. The law doesn’t say so. I think the commission should be pragmatic about this, because this can be changed and it should be changed. Why do we have a shorter period,” he added.

According to Darboe, the opposition can go out to campaign, but the main issue is that of having coverage by the national television.

“We have seen the APRC having access to the television every minute of the day, selling their ideas and programmes, which we do not have,” he said.

Darboe believes that having access to the state media will give an indication that elections in The Gambia are really free and fair, and not something that has been done just to go through the motions. He noted that it is not immutable that IEC cannot change the campaign period, unless the Commission says that they are not going to change.

“The IEC should not fail its responsibility of having those who registered more than once face the consequences of the law, and that their names should be deleted. They have committed a crime, and they should not be allowed to benefit from the fruits of their crime,” Darboe went on, adding that they must face the consequences or otherwise the IEC will be compromising its credibility, and that would not bring feathers to their cap.

Hamat Bah - NRP

Also at the press conference was Hamat NK Bah, leader of the opposition National Reconciliation Party, NRP, who called on the IEC to address the issue of inconsistencies regarding the handling of cases by the revising courts as, in his view, non-Gambians have registered and are going to vote in the elections to decide the destiny of this country.

“We hope that the IEC will act as quickly as possible so that these things can be addressed. The time frame allocated for us to campaign is grossly inadequate. The APRC has been using the radio and television for over 1000 days, and we would only be allowed to use it within 11 days, which is sad,” Bah said.

According to him, the forthcoming presidential election is crucial, and that the opposition will not stand idle and wait for their victory to be robbed or for them to be robbed of victory.

“We will stand firm to defend our fundamental rights. The IEC has been compromising too much regarding those who have illegally registered themselves more than once. Those who have committed these crimes must not be allowed to vote, because they have already committed a crime. We are compromising too much, and the more we do that, the more we compromise the credibility of the system,” he added.

The NRP leader further opined that the country deserves a free and fair election.

“We are in a year of transformation, and Gambia cannot be an exception. Let’s go by the rule of law,” he told the gathering.

Samba Gajigo – APRC

Samba Gajigo, the Administrative Secretary of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) expressed a different view.

He said the duration for the campaign is adequate.

“What is most important is for political parties to take advantage of the period they have now not necessarily holding rallies, but campaigning,” he said, adding that political parties must continue working as parties to ensure that they entrench their parties within their communities.

According to him, campaign periods are periods when tempers are usually high. He opined that election management is the business of everybody, but most importantly the business of the IEC, who needs to manage that period so well that it is devoid of excessive problems that would hinder the credibility of the elections.

“The IEC has the responsibility and the duty to look at the best time frame, and this is what they have done. I totally share the view that the period allocated is adequate,” he added.

Lawyers protest Moses Richards conviction

By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger

Ex Justice Moses Richards

Members of the Gambia Bar Association yesterday began a week-long stay away from the courts, in protest against the jailing last month of former high court judge and lawyer Moses Richards by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

The move, sources close to the association said, followed a meeting by members of the Bar, who have called for Richards’ release.

The protest action at the high court in Banjul yesterday virtually interrupted all court proceedings.

The lawyers’ strike took effect on the very day, Monday, when judges at the high court in Banjul resumed sittings, after the traditional annual summer recess for two months.

It would be recalled that lawyers did embark on an earlier strike, in January 2011 which only lasted for three days, against the arrest and prosecution of Richards.

In a press release issued last month and signed by its President, Sheriff M. Tambedou, the Bar condemned Richards’ conviction, which it “considers as an assault on the independence of the profession, as well as a malicious attack on the independence of the Bar.”

“By this appalling act the Gambia Bar Association considers the whole Gambian legal profession and the rule of law to have been tried and convicted by extension,” the association said in its statement.

At the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, there was a court sitting on a drugs-related case without the presence of any lawyer, this reporter confirmed.

When contacted yesterday, Kombeh Gaye-Coker, Secretary General of the Gambia Bar Association, confirmed that the lawyers are indeed on strike, stating that it is true that the lawyers embarked on a week-long strike to show their “disapproval” of the conviction of Moses Richards, who was jailed last month for two years six months with hard labour.

“We have made a request and, if approved by the Inspector General of Police, on Monday 10th October, we plan to have a peaceful procession from the High Court in Banjul to Mile 2 Prisons,” she added.

Elections are cornerstone of democracy, declares Point’s chief editor

 By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger

B.Senghore, Point's Chief Editor

The editor-in-chief of The Point newspaper, Baboucarr Senghore, has underscored the significance of the forthcoming presidential, parliamentary and local government elections, stressing that elections are the cornerstone of any democracy.

He stated that the media has a vital role in informing the public about what the politicians are promising; in telling the politicians what ordinary people want, or do not want; and in ensuring that the polls are free and fair.

Senghore, who was speaking during a presentation on the “Role of editors in election coverage and reporting” at a four-day training workshop on election reporting for Gambian journalists, said yesterday that this was particularly important in countries lacking a solid background of democratic rule.

In his presentation, The Point’s chief editor opined that good journalists should also report elections in a non-partisan way, suppressing their own political views in order to allow the public to make up their minds solely on the basis of what the various candidates are offering.

According to him, one of the main problems in election reporting is corruption.

“Corruption is at the heart of poor election reporting in Africa, and a good number of journalists have fallen prey to this vice.

“As editors, we have a role to play in avoiding such problems.

Still on the role of editors in election coverage and planning, Mr Senghore went on to state that planning is essential to effective election coverage.

He said, as an editor, one should always check with the electoral commission all the details of the coming poll: registration date, start and closing day of the campaign period, election-day specifics (how the polling will be organized, among others.

In his view, elections bring politicians closer to media practitioners and, as a result, the image of the profession is profoundly tarnished with some insurmountable problems recorded.

Commenting on ethics, he said, observing the ethics of the profession is the golden rule, the success story and the kick-starter of the practice, when the canons of responsible journalism are put in motion.

“It is for this reason that professional ethics should be viewed and reviewed properly, more particularly as it stands as the formidable passage-way from common practice of journalists to their being regarded as the watchdogs of the society,” he added.

He told the gathering that the challenge of objectivity, impartiality and balance in journalism is faced daily by journalists, but there is no better test of professionalism than that faced in the heat and pressures of a bitterly fought political election, hence the need for such training of Gambian journalists in election reporting procedures.

“Journalists are, therefore, expected to be scrupulous enough to provide citizens with access to all the facts, opinions and ideas being canvassed in the election campaign,” he said, further noting that media houses should not be biased, political or opposition-minded as this can greatly affect their professionalism and the professional code of conduct.

Journalists, he went on, must resist with a will the temptation to be biased in their reporting. “The people to whom we are accountable need to be well-informed about all the issues at stake, so that they can decide for themselves,” he said, adding it is unethical for a journalist to canvass a particular political position.

For him, journalists who wish to do so would be wise to quit the profession, and run for an elective office.

He also stated in his presentation that the success or failure of a reporter in election reporting is largely dependent on some key indicators which, among others, include the state of mind of the journalist; lack of access to source of information; lack of effective communication; poor wages of journalists; editorial line of the media house; and cosmetic training in the media profession.

Ahead of November Polls, IEC task journalists to abide by ethics

By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger 

Electoral Commission, Director of Communication, training and publicity

Ahead of scheduled presidential, parliamentary and local government elections in the country, the Independent Electoral Commission has urged Gambian journalists from the print and electronic media to abide by to the maximum, the standards and ethics as spelt out in the media rules on election coverage and reporting.

Joseph Colley, Director of Communication, Training and Publicity at the Commission, gave the word of caution Wednesday during his presentation on “IEC Media Guidelines on Election Coverage”.

The occasion was a four-day training workshop on election coverage and reporting for Gambian journalists, which ends today at the Gambia Press Union secretariat in Bakau.

According to him, media rules on elections were established to provide for fair access to the media by all political parties and candidates over the electoral period.

“The IEC shall, during the election campaign period, ensure that equal air time is given to each candidate and national party on the public radio and television (section 93 of the Elections Decree 1996),” Colley told journalists.

The IEC media officer, whose presentation focused on a number of pertinent issues on elections, said the Independent Electoral Commission has general powers to regulate the conduct of election.

“Special provision is also made to provide regulation on the maximum political air-time which may be used by any candidate on privately owned radio stations to reduce any advantage to a candidate with significantly more financial resources than other candidates,” he added.

However, he explained that the IEC has not deemed it necessary, at this stage, to provide financial limits on political parties advertising in the print media.

“All media outlets are reminded of the provisions of the Elections Decree, particularly sections 90-96, and the code on election campaign ethics,” he announced.

Colley went on to urge media organizations and journalists to apply the spirit of these rules and to continue to do so after the declaration of the results.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, it should be stated that private radio stations or the print media may carry out political advertisement immediately,” he stated.

Dilating further on the rules relating to public media, Colley said this section shall apply to all media organizations, radio, TV, and print, owned by the state.

“The Director General of the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that there is no undue party advantage given in the public media to the party or a candidate, who is a member of the political party in government,” he explained.

Concerning the allocation of air-time on private radio stations, the IEC official added that no private radio station, other than those approved by the IEC under section 94-95 of the Election Decree, shall carry political advertisements.

“It is not required for each station to charge the same as another station, but no station shall differentiate between candidates in its charges, discount, etc,” he pointed out.

Colley further stated that a special provision requires that no political party publication or advertisement shall be carried by the public or private media in The Gambia, following the closure of campaigning at midnight.

This, he went on, does not affect analysis, news or information concerning the elections themselves, provided such coverage is balanced, objective, and done in good faith, and that it is not in any way a continuation of campaigning.

“Special attention shall be given by all members of the public media to ensure compliance with these provisions,” he added.

Gambian journalists certificated on election reporting

Managing Blogger receiving certificate from GPU Chief at the Closing ceremony

 By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger

 After four days of intensive classroom training on elections coverage and reporting for 23 Gambian journalists, ahead of the much-anticipated 24th November polls, the organizers gave certificates to the participants at the end of the course on Friday.

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in close partnership with the Gambia Press Union and Foundation for Legal Aid, Research and Empowerment organized the workshop, which was conducted by a well-known African American journalist and writer, Herb Frazier.

The training was interactive, and journalists interviewed by this reporter at the end of the workshop, vowed to put the knowledge gained into practice, in reporting on the forthcoming elections.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, ICFJ country director Alieu Famara Sagnia said their aim was to see that Gambian journalists are well-equipped and armed before covering the elections.

He called on the participants to share the knowledge gained with their colleague, and announced that a second training course on election reporting will be organized in December of this year.

The former director of the government Information Service, reminded the journalists of the purpose of the training course, which he said is to prepare journalists and their media houses for effective election coverage and reporting.

“It is believed that in the medium to long term, this activity will contribute towards achieving the overall program objective, which is to support the media organizations in The Gambia, by building their capacity, and in this way help advance the cause of good governance and basic freedoms in the country,” he said.

Emil Touray, president of the Gambia Press Union, who chaired the closing ceremony urged his members to always put in practice what they have digested over the four-day period.

Mr. Touray added that the press union is aware of the capacity gap in the media, but was quick to add that this will soon be history, as there are many training packages for Gambian journalists in the pipeline.

He went on to call for responsible journalism, whilst commending the ICFJ for taking the bold step in building the capacity of media practitioners in this country, which he believes is a step in the right direction.

Herb Frazier the lead consultant and trainer spoke briefly at closing ceremony, and hailed the professionalism and commitment demonstrated by the course participants.

Journalists crucial to free and fair polls says veteran US Journalist

Herbs Frazier Well know African America Journalist and Author

 By Sainey M.K. Marenah, Managing Blogger

Veteran African-American journalist and writer, Herb Frazier, has underscored the significant role journalists the world over play in ensuring that elections are free and fair.

Mr. Frazier is an international media consultant, a former correspondent and editor for several U.S. newspapers, including the Charleston (SC) Post and Courier, and a former Knight International Journalism Fellow.

He was the lead consultant in the just-concluded four-day training for Gambian media practitioners on election reporting, and spoke in an interview with this reporter.

“Journalists have a role to play in ensuring elections are free and fair,” he opined.

Commenting on the ICFJ training workshop on election reporting for Gambian journalists, the US-based journalist underscored its importance, noting that it is important for journalists to uphold the fundamentals of good journalism, fairness, balance, impartiality, which he added are vital in ensuring that voters have correct information before going to the polls.

A former Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan and founding president of the South Carolina Coastal Association of Black Journalists, Frazier further stated that journalists should not in any way support any political party during elections.

“Journalists should be independent, and state only the fact, representing each candidate’s position in very fair; balance; and accurate manner,” he noted.

Frazier called on Gambian journalists to maintain objectivity and professionalism as their guiding principles.

He also urged them to be focused on the fundamentals of good journalism, adding that a good journalist is one who, among others, wins the trust of the people, keeps an open mind and listens to both sides.

Frazier, who also reports and edit for many US newspapers, said he saw a bright future for Gambians journalists as they are young and committed to the profession, despite working in a difficult environment.