The executive director of Beakanyang has said that the Covid-19 pandemic should not undermine the Gambia’s democratic process.
Nfamara Jawneh was speaking in an interview with reporters at his office in Serrekunda on Tuesday.
According to him, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic there are better options that the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC could explore.
The rights activist called on the IEC to develop its own procedures on conducting elections and its related activities in the context of Covid-19 pandemic.
“Activities such as voter education using mass media and voter registration could be carried out while observing social distancing in line with government restrictions to stop the spread of Coronavirus,” he argued.
He remined IEC of the recent position paper issued by the country’s CSOs which urged IEC to honor its mandate by the timely conduct of voter registration leading to the holding of a constitutional referendum by the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, Beakanyang director also noted that they have welcomed the move taken by the Ministry of Justice to gazette the bill to promulgate the constitution of the republic of the Gambia.
“We salute the government’s efforts in doing the right thing and urge all Gambians to continue participating in the constitutional building process to usher in the 3rd republic,” he noted.
He also hailed the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) for its efforts to draft a new Constitution through nationwide consultations.
