By Juldeh Njie & Aminata Kuyateh
The University of the Gambia Students’ Union Electoral Commission (UTGSUEC) on Wednesday organised a day-long convention for aspiring candidates vying for positions under the UTG student union.
The convention is here to serve as a platform in order for the electorates to identify best and competent candidates.
The Chairman of the electoral commission, Baba Y Darboe, applauded the candidates for maintaining the peace and tranquility throughout the campaign period.
About 6000 students are expected to vote, out of the 6 schools of the UTG.
The commission that called the meeting is a ten-man body responsible for conducting all elections and electoral activities in the University.
“This year’s election will be history in the UTG student union politics. There will be 6 polling stations; one in Faraba campus, Brikama campus, school of business and public administration, faculty of law, school of medicine and health sciences and GTTI where we have students from school of engineering and architecture,” he revealed.
He said the commission will introduce spot counting for the first time in the UTGSU election history, which he said will be done immediately after the closure of the polls at 5pm.
Shedding more light on the candidates, Mr Darboe said: “Two candidates will be contesting for the presidential post, two for the secretary general, two for the minister of information and communication, three for the position of gender and health and three candidates for vice president.
“The unopposed positions are the minister of education and research, the minister of technical service, and the minister of finance and the auditor general,” he added.
He expressed his frustration on the other posts including minister for sport, for agriculture, environment and the minister of welfare and culture, which remains vacant.
He assured of his impartiality, promising the election will be conducted in a free and fair manner.
The aspiring candidates unveiled their agendas and in their manifestoes, highlighted the deployable conditions of the university, ranging from insufficient electricity to poor toilet conditions.
