By Tabora Bojang
Hagi Suwaneh, the president of the youth wing of the main opposition UDP has accused Presidential Adviser Saihou Mballow of trying to coerce Alkalolu (village heads) into facilitating registration of foreigners from across the border, disguising them as Gambians.
Mr Mballow who has denied this, was heard in a video urging Alkalolu to help issue attestations for voters’ card for people living in Casamance, Senegal, and other cross border villages if they believe them to be Gambians.
“If you have your sons, nieces and nephews across the border villages and they don’t have ID Cards and they are confirmed by village elders and Alkalolu to be Gambians who went for marriage outside The Gambia, they should be issued documents to acquire their voter’s card,” Mballow said.
He accused the opposition of fanning xenophobic sentiments by accusing other people as non-Gambians without proof. “I am a citizen of this country who is living in the US and am qualified to come and vote in The Gambia, why can’t somebody who is equally born in Gambia residing in Casamance, Wellingara or Tambacounda in Senegal come to register and vote in this country?” Mballow asked.
However according to the UDP youth president Haji Suwaneh, the focus of the ruling National Peoples Party (NPP) on cross-border voter mobilisation raises concerns about election rigging.
He added: “The future of our country is at stake. We are very well aware that the NPP’s main strength is cross border voter mobilisation and registration of ineligible claimants. That’s why they never care about any meaningful electoral change and insisted on maintaining Alkalo and Seyfo attestations in the new Election Act,” Suwaneh said.
He warned Alkalolu that any illegal attestation or registration of foreigners will not be “tolerated” in this election.
“Election integrity is non-negotiable. Gambians won’t compromise on a fair process. There will be a whole different ball game in the upcoming supplementary registration and elections. Our votes should be for Gambia’s future, not personal gain. Let’s reject banditry politics and choose unity,” Suwaneh said.
