MODOU SARR
Pa Makan Khan IEC head of Communications and Training has cleared the air that the electoral body has no right to denied any eligible political party for registration to participate in future elections in the country. If we do that, they are obliged to take us to the law courts. However, at the Election House, there are set of stipulated rules to obey and fullfil if you are to be considered a bonafide political party. Any applicant that fail short of those requirements, we referred your application and ask for a resubmission.
IEC mouthpiece Khan disclosed that party registration is still ongoing, normally every week someone will walked in to our offices asking for forms to register a political party and which am sure are the political rights of people enshrined in the constitution.
From late last year to date, we have processed 8 applications, out of which only a single one had their application approved and very soon it will be certified by the Chairman. The other 7 applicants were not rejected but were asked to make some adjustments in their application required by law and to resubmit.
Asked by this reporter why does it take too long before a party is registered, Mr Khan stressed that political parties are usually government in waiting and needs to be scrutinized for effective delivery. He however revealed that the principal issue compounding many applicant is the ten thousand threshold registered voters needed for endorsement. When applications were submitted, our IT department will go through each of those voters cards numbers whether there are duplications in it or not. Again we examine the core principles of the party because we cannot register a party based on regional, ethnicity, religious, sectional or any, we accept applicants whose agenda is of national character and has a democratic nature..
On the application of the UNITE political party, the veteran IEC Spokesperson who was with the electoral commission since its inception in 1996, serving as Assistant Returning Officer, Returning Officer to his current position as Director of Communications and Training said the UNITE political party are among those seven that are asked to resubmit after founding out that some adjustments needs to be done, but they are not rejected.
On the issues of ballot drums and marbles, in a scenario when we have ten or more parties to contest the presidential election, will this not be a constraint to IEC? asked this reporter. Mr Khan in response said yes ballot paper voting was proposed in 2019 as IEC tried to push through some electoral reform procedures for the use of ballot papers in elections, however National Assembly made some amendments in the election Act and was agreed that ballot drums and marbles are good to go. For the ballot drums, we have enough in stock and as you know they are locally made. The marbles too, we have enough but can still order for more.
On the current register update, Pa Makan Khan stated that as of 2021 registration, over 962 ,000 has been registered. The supplementary registration is just at the corner coming in April/ May for those who are unable to register the last time and also those who came of age. Anyone who’s a bonafide citizen and will be at age 18 by December 5th is eligible for registration, he noted
