The National Council for Civic Education is established by Act No.1 of 1998, pursuant to Article 198 of the Second Republican Constitution of The Gambia. The Act, as stated on its website, mandates the NCCE to create and sustain awareness of constitutional democracy for the achievement of political, economic and social stability through civic education.
As the country is poised for the crucial December 4, 2021 presidential election, the Senior Programme Officer (SPO) of the NCCE, Mr. Ansumana Ceesay, has reminded all and sundry of the Code on Election Campaign Ethics, warning against vote buying and other campaign malpractices.
“As campaign and election days are coming closer, we are warning politicians to desist from any form of vote buying as it’s against the Code of Election Campaign Ethics. Cap 03.01 Vol 1 of the Revised Laws of The Gambia (2009) Section 2 (2) (1) of the Code of Campaign Ethics states that political parties and their candidates or any independent candidate, agents, workers and supporters of political parties or any independent candidate shall not coerce or offer monetary or other kinds of inducement to any person to vote for or against, to abstain from voting for a particular political party or candidature.
NCCE had been conducting on a 10-day civic and voter education sensitization in-person at village Bantabas [square] across 40 selected communities in the Northern and southern parts of Upper River Region (URR). Speaking to his audiences at the last meeting venues in Fatoto and Sutokonding villages, respectively, in Wuli East District of URR-North.
Ceesay dilated on the importance of voting, campaign ethics and Code of Conduct for elections. The NCCE programme chief advised the electorate to desist from any form of election-related violence such as use of abusive language during campaign rallies; physical assault of people; and threatening people to vote for candidates which are not their choice.
Ceesay urged people not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to do actions which are against the laws of The Gambia, or do any act that would derail the peace of this country throughout the electoral processes.
He went further to enjoin citizens to reject or report individuals or groups to the IEC and laws enforcement body, any time they are approached for vote buying.
Ceesay underlined that accepting any form of vote buying as a citizen means “you are selling and comprising with your power, your voice your, choice and your constitutional political rights–that is right to vote and be voted for”. He said NCCE encourages the citizens to be law-abiding and peaceful throughout the electoral processes, and that whosoever wins, citizens are encouraged to rally behind him and work together for the betterment of the country. He stressed that NCCE strongly believes that they are doubling down their sensitization to plead with all eligible citizens to be part of the election, using both radio, television, face-to-face community meeting and other social media platforms.
Senior Programme Officer Ceesay: “Because a strong voter education program is critical to ensuring the free participation of all qualified voters in the election. Therefore, the second phase of the nationwide civic and voter education campaign will be held in CRR, NBR and LRR [Central River Region, North Bank Region and Lower River Region.”
Mr. Abdoulie Drammeh of Sutokonding village, urged that they should stop insulting each other; castigating each other’s clans; and avoid using derogatory comments on each other’s party leaders and party.
Many speakers also called on Gambians to stop tribalism in their party politics, maintaining if they avoid it, there would be sustainable peace throughout the electoral process.
Mr. Lamin Camara, a youth from Bolibana village in Kantora District, said they’re going to jealously guide the peace they have in the country, cautioning that otherwise, “if we don’t guide and maintain it, we will be a refuge in another country”.
