After the departure of the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Alieu Momar Njai, speculations were rife as to who the new chairperson would be. The speculations are now over. The former Vice Chairman of the Commission, Mr Joseph Colley, is now appointed Chairman of the IEC to serve the rest of his first seven-year term. A new Vice Chairman has been appointed to serve a seven-year term in the person of Mr Cherno Jallow, a veteran of foreign affairs ministry and the UN system.
The rest of the members are Haddy Sedat Jobe George, Mr Anthony Robert Secka and Mr Lamin Cham. These are the five members of the Commission who will preside over its affairs as eyes are focused on the 2026 presidential election. The Gambian people, ECOWAS, EU, the UN and other international partners are anticipating an emboldened, reinforced and re-energized IEC that is capable of delivering transparent, free, fair and credible elections in 2026 and beyond. They may be currently constrained by the indecisiveness in consensus building to bring about constitutional reform that would have accommodated the anticipated electoral reform. Notwithstanding, the current Elections Act empowers the IEC to promote a level ground in multi-party contest free from fraud, intimidation and patronage. It provides for a code of conduct that should be upheld and preserved by all stakeholders to ensure integrity in the electoral process. Much is expected from the team as the country prepares for a new electoral cycle.
