By Tabora Bojang
The youth president of the United Democratic Party, Hagi Suwaneh, has called on the opposition to maintain vigilance against the abuse of state resources, interference, registration of ineligible voters and deliberate errors in vote tabulation in the this year’s presidential elections.
In a write up shared with The Standard, Suwaneh argued that the nation stands at a critical juncture ahead of the December presidential election adding that every genuine opposition must place vigilance over sentiment and work towards confronting the deep-rooted flaws within the Gambian electoral system.
“This moment is not about labeling candidates as electable or unelectable; it is about confronting the deep-rooted flaws within our electoral system and restoring public trust in democratic governance. Only through vigilance, unity and integrity can Gambians reclaim their democratic right to choose leadership that truly represents their aspirations,” the UDP youth leader said.
He argued that there is an undeniable link between credible elections and good governance as leaders elected through manipulated processes are unlikely to prioritise the needs of the people. “Therefore, addressing electoral irregularities is not merely a political demand; it is a national obligation. As members of the UDP national youth leadership, we approach this responsibility with both conviction and personal stake. If our collective intention is not to aid or legitimise President Adama Barrow’s entrenched governance, then we must remain vigilant and principled, rather than guided by sentiment or rivalry among opposition forces,”he said.
According to Mr Suwaneh, recent presidential elections have revealed disturbing patterns where village heads exerted undue influence by manipulating voter registration processes to favor the incumbent. He further alleged that in some cases, voting queues were selectively extended when it benefited the incumbent, while result announcements were deliberately delayed in areas where the opposition was leading, adding that the electoral body IEC’s acceptance of unsigned result slips further undermines confidence in the credibility of the electoral process. He alleged that the prevalence of these and other malpractices such as multiple voting, underage voting, falsification of birth certificates and result sheets, demonstrates how the will of the people is systematically manipulated at multiple levels to entrench incumbent power.
