By Olimatou Coker
The National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) recently concluded 20 days intensive civic and voter education campaign across 80 selected communities in CRR, NBR, LRR, and WCR to galvanize citizens to participate meaningfully and vote massively in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The campaign funded by the UNDP is meant to enhance citizen civic consciousness, promote political tolerance, and increase public awareness to encourage political participation and end voter apathy associated with parliamentary elections.
Taking the form of face-to-face community sensitization meetings held in village Bantabas, the sensitization was also complemented with radio, television talk shows, and other social media platforms.
Speaking at the latest sensitization meetings in Wulingkama in the Sannementereng Constituency, and Kombo Lamin in the Busumbala Constituency as well as Jababa and Jarra Sukuta in Jarra East constituency, the NCCE campaigners reminded the communities about constitutional guarantee for political rights, the importance of voting in the parliamentary elections, campaign ethics, the importance and role of parliament and its members and code of conduct for election.
The NCCE’s senior program officer, Mr. Ansumana Ceesay further advised the electorate to be law-abiding and desist from any form of election-related violence such as the use of abusive language during campaign rallies, physical assault of people, threatening people to vote for candidates who are not their choice.
Ceesay warned citizens against allowing themselves as willing tools for politicians to do actions that are against the laws of The Gambia or do any act that will derail the peace of this country throught out the electoral process.
Similarly, politicians are cautioned to desist from any form/act that contravenes the legal instruments, policies, and regulations governing the electoral process in The Gambia.
Reacting to NCCE’s interventions, participants in almost all the meetings expressed their appreciation to the council for the timely engagement and provision of the much-needed information at a crucial time, They also encouraged NCCE to be conducting sensitizations of this nature during post-election periods, to improve the understanding of citizens on their rights and responsibilities and therefore appealed to the Gambia government and other development partners to give more funding support to NCCE.
