UDP’s Lamin Manneh, Rights Activist Madi Jobarteh Challenge IEC Over Voter Data Release

By Makutu Makutu

Lamin Manneh, the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) deputy administrative secretary for external affairs, and prominent human rights activist Madi Jobarteh have questioned the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) decision to withhold raw voter registration data until the revising courts conclude.

The two raised their concerns at the IEC’s monthly stakeholders’ forum, where Commission Chairman Joseph Colley announced that the IEC would release the full voter register only after the revising courts completed their work.

Manneh argued that delaying the release of the data could undermine stakeholders’ ability to scrutinize the voter register and raise objections before the courts reach their final decisions.

He said the UDP’s longstanding demand has been for an electoral process that is properly organized, free, fair, and transparent. He recalled that the party had previously commended the IEC for its handling of the supplementary voter registration exercise and questioned why a similar approach to transparency could not be maintained.

“Decisions made by the revising courts are final and cannot be appealed, and therefore stakeholders should be given the opportunity to act before the final decision is made. We are not asking for too much but for a transparent, free, and fair election,” Manneh said.

Echoing those concerns, Jobarteh, executive director of the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice, argued that providing political parties and other electoral stakeholders with access to the raw registration data before the revising courts conclude their proceedings is essential to electoral transparency and accountability.

He maintained that such access would allow stakeholders to examine the register, identify potential irregularities, and submit challenges through the appropriate legal process.

Jobarteh questioned the rationale for withholding the information, asking what harm could arise from allowing registered political parties to scrutinize the data before the courts complete their work.

He further argued that denying stakeholders timely access to the information could limit their ability to participate meaningfully in the voter register review process.

Responding to the concerns, IEC Chairman Joseph Colley maintained that the Commission would release the relevant documents once the revising courts had concluded their proceedings.

Colley assured stakeholders that the Commission had nothing to conceal, reiterating its position that the voter register would be made available after the review process.

The exchange highlighted a disagreement over the timing of the data’s release, with Manneh and Jobarteh insisting that access before the revising courts conclude their work is necessary for effective scrutiny, while the IEC maintains that the information will be released afterward.