By Olimatou Coker
Candidates who contested in the just concluded councilor/local government election have expressed their dissatisfaction over the low voter turnout in the Banjulinding, Kembujeh and Dippa Kunda wards respectively.
Speaking to The Standard, the United Democratic Party (UDP) candidate who won the Kembujeh Ward Councilor seat, Alieu Darboe , called for greater participation from all and sundry in future elections and reiterated his desire to give his all to his ward’s development.
“I am ready to die for my ward in making sure that I work towards the development of my ward.”
He noted that part of his objective in contesting in this election was to help in developing his ward “because 22 years of the former regime has brought no development in Kembujeh. We are really left behind in terms of development and so that’s why I stood up for this position in order to give my people what they need most by working hand in glove with them,” he stated.
Also Speaking, the APRC councilor for Dippa Kunda ward, Isatou N Conateh, also expressed similar concerns about the low-voter turnout in her ward.
Madam Conateh urged Gambians to come out in numbers in upcoming elections and vote for “your choice.
She also advised the electorate not to consider presidential elections more important than Local Government election.
She said: “What people fail to understand is that the local government election is also very important because you are voting for those people who can work for efficiently in developing the country,” she stated.
The presiding officer for Banjulinding Ward in new Yundum Primary School stream 3, Nuha Darboe, commented that even though the election process was “smooth, free and transparent,” the voter turnout wasn’t encouraging.
Mr Darboe went on to call on Gambians to exercise their “franchise rights” as citizen and take meaningful parts in shaping their own futures.
