Political Party Registration Application: IEC Advises Applicant To Submit Valid Data For Consideration

The Independent Electoral Commission has advised an applicant for political party registration to submit valid data to consider his application.

One Ebrima Tabora Manneh filed at the commission an application to register a political party to be referred to as ‘People’s Alliance Party [PAP]’ upon approval. He supported his application with old voter cards nullified by the commission on 29th May; thus warrants the commission’s advice.  

“I wish to inform you that the list of voters and signatures you submitted to support your political party registration [application] has been nullified by the IEC and therefore it can not be used because it was declared null and void,” the Chairman, Alieu Momar Njai, informed the applicant in a letter dated 5^th July.

However, the commission advised Manneh to collect valid voter cards to support his application for approval.

“You may wish to collect signatures for support on the list of voters that is currently being compiled by the IEC after its completion to get your application for political party registration considered by IEC,” the letter added.

Mr. Manneh who filed the application acknowledged receipt of the IEC’s letter and promised to do the needful.

“As law abiding citizens and in compliance with the decision of the IEC,  we accept your decision and recommendations in good faith; we will, again, proceed with the collection of the new voters cards and signatures, and hope that when those are submitted, you will give due consideration to process them speedily to enable us partake in the coming presidential elections as per the wishes of  many Gambians throughout the country,” Manneh responded to the commission in a letter on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, for a successful political party registration application, the application should be accompanied by a list of 10, 000 registered voters with their signatures and the serial numbers of their valid voter cards. However, the applicant submitted a list of 10, 000 registered voters with their signatures and the serial numbers of the old voter cards now declared null and void by the IEC; after the commencement of the ongoing general voter registration due to end on 11^th July, according to IEC. Now, he needs to wait for the completion of the registration to proceed with his application by submitting a list of 10, 000 registered voters with their signatures and the serial numbers of their new voter cards to get his application considered.