IEC, All Eyes Are On You

The Independent Electoral Commission has one job in the coming weeks, and it is not a small one. It must deliver an election that Gambians can trust.

Not an election that is merely held or merely declared. Gambians want to see an election that is seen to be free, fair, transparent and accountable at every single stage.

That is the standard. There is no lower one.

The Gambia goes to the polls at a moment of deep public scrutiny. Trust in institutions is fragile, memories of past manipulation are still fresh and citizens are watching, political parties are watching, observers are watching, and the world is watching. The IEC cannot afford ambiguity, delay, or silence.

Transparency is not a favour the Commission grants but an obligation.

It begins with the voter register and Gambians must know who is on it, how it was compiled, how duplicates and underage registrations were removed, and why any name was added or deleted. Publish it. Allow scrutiny and answer questions before they become rumours.

It continues with polling day procedures. Where are polling stations? Who are presiding officers? How are ballot papers secured, counted and transported? How are results transmitted from polling station to constituency to national tally centre? Every step must be open, documented and verifiable.

And it ends with results. No result should be announced that cannot be traced back to a polling station result sheet signed by party agents and observers. No tally should change behind closed doors and no explanation should come after suspicion has already taken root.

Accountability also means communication. The IEC must speak early, speak clearly, and speak often. In a climate where misinformation spreads in minutes, silence is not neutrality. Silence is a vacuum that rumour will fill.

We remind the Commission that independence does not mean isolation. An independent commission listens, engages stakeholders, respects the law, and subjects itself to scrutiny. It does not hide behind its independence to avoid questions.

The Commissioners took an oath to The Gambia, not to any party, not to any incumbent, not to any opposition. That oath will be tested not in press statements, but in decisions under pressure, whether they resist interference, whether they apply rules equally to all candidates and whether they act swiftly when violations occur.

Gambians have done their part. They registered. They will queue and they will vote in peace, as they have always done. Now the IEC must do its part.

History will not remember how smooth the Commission’s press conferences were. It will remember whether the will of the people was respected and protected.

All eyes are on you. Do not blink.