IEC boss praises Gambian media for role in Dec poll

By Aminata Camara The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission has praised the Gambian media for their effective and fair reporting during last year’s presidential election. Alieu Momarr Njai said he is proud of the journalists for playing pivotal role in the activities leading to December 1 poll. “You have not only stopped at voter education, information, civic education election and monitoring and observation but the media have been good watchdogs of the Commission and other stakeholders. We hope that this same spirit will continue in the forthcoming election and beyond,” he said. The much admired IEC boss also said elections are a great challenge for the media while presiding over a three-day training forum for media practitioners and member of the civil society organization. The training was organised by IEC ahead of the April 6th parliamentary election. “Therefore first and foremost journalists need to know the election laws. Secondly, the must report fairly on all candidates. Thirdly, the media should be the voice of the voters and to crown it all, they must adhere to professional standards of accuracy, impartiality and responsibility,” he said. The training is aimed at sensitizing the media on their roles and responsibilities in the electoral process as an important aspect of the electoral activities. The capacity building workshop was held at Tango Conference Centre on the Wednesday 22 February 2017. “For many people, elections are a crucial decision about the future, if the election goes well. The country can continue towards democracy and peace. This can be an example by our own experience of The Gambia. “If the election goes badly, it can undermine democracy and turn the country towards conflict. In this modern age, the media is one of the most powerful influences on how election runs inside the country and how it is perceived from the outside,” he said.]]>