The Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice, Lawyer Dawda Jallow, has informed lawmakers that the new “Elections Bill 2021” provides for the registration of Gambians in the diaspora, to participate in the country’s elections.
Gambia Government’s chief legal advisor was speaking on Tuesday, before Members of the National Assembly joint Committee on Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Human and Constitutional Matters, at the legislative House in the Gambian capital, Banjul.
The Justice Minister’s engagement with the said lawmakers, as this medium gathered, was meant to have his inputs on the said Bill, in his capacity as the mover of the electoral bill, for the committee to scrutinize, consider and report its findings back to the National Assembly’s plenary for subsequent adoption.
AG Jallow told Committee members that earlier on under the administrative provision of the bill, Section 5 introduces the appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer. But he said this (new Bill) clearly states the mode of appointment and responsibilities, which Jallow noted, was not clearly captured in the old Elections Act; stating Section 5 of the old Act deals with appointment of Election Officers in general.
“We maintained the appointment of election officers in general, subsequently in the bill; but we thought the role of the Chief Electoral Officer, who is the officer-in-charge of all the operations of elections, is important for it to be captured in the legislation. That is an introduction and it wasn’t there previously”, the AG-cum-Justice Minister told the gathered deputies.
On transfer of place of registration, he said in the current Act, the provision for the transfer of place of registration re-provides application to be made to the commission, and attracts charge fees. But he stated in the new Bill, it goes further to lay timelines during which one could analyze the transfer.
He, however, indicated to them that under the bill, application is made to the Returning Officer of the electoral division as opposed to Commission itself, and that the fees chargeable have been removed.
Jallow further said the practice of a document “certified by five elders” in the old Act is also removed in the new Bill. That the document of applicant to be certified by ‘Seyfo’(of the District) or ‘Alkalo’ of a village, to confirm or attest to the birth of the applicant stating that the person is born in the district or village, has been reproduced and maintained.
The lawmakers were reminded that the current Elections Act does not have any specific provision for registration of voters in the diaspora at all, but in the new Bill, registration of Gambians in the diaspora is provided for under Section 14.
On publication of election report, Minister Jallow reported that the bill provides for the post-election report to be published within one month after election, as opposed to six months stated in the current Act.
Director of Gambia Diaspora Directorate (GDD) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Mr. Musa Camara told the joint Committee members that, they have been working with their missions overseas to ensure that all Gambian associations under their jurisdictions are covered in terms of data.
Speaker and Co-Chair of the joint Committee, Hon. Mariam Jack-Denton, earlier remarked that, the Elections Bill was tabled during the plenary by Minister Jallow, and was referred to the joint committee by the plenary, for the committee to scrutinize, consider and report its findings back to the plenary, for further consideration and eventual adoption of the bill.
The House chief then told the AG: “Being the mover of the Bill, you are required to assist and provide technical and all the relevant information for the purpose of the consideration of the bill by the National Assembly. This is the normal procedure that we have adopted in all the bills that have been tabled and referred to the various committees.”
Speaker Denton continued, “You are also required to support the committee on all the information, regarding the necessity and the purpose of this bill.”
