“Deregistration of parties is unacceptable and I will be uncompromising in challenging it” Says Halifa Sallah

By Ousman Sillah
At a mass rally at Bundung Six Junction on Sunday, 20 March 2016,
after he was formerly installed as the PDOIS Presidential Candidate at
a Convention held on the previous day, Halifa Sallah concluded his
long speech by focusing on the threat issued by the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) to deregister the already existingpolitical parties by 31 March if they fail to abide by certain
conditions.
The PDOIS Presidential Candidate said Section 100 of the Constitution
of The Gambia protects rights which have already been acquired before
the passing of a new law. He emphasised that no authority has the
mandate to make a new law which may deprive a person of a right that
is already acquired.
Halifa said it is an ideal situation for executives of political
parties to be in a country and for political parties to have
headquarters with paid staff in every region. He added that it is part
of internal party democracy to hold congresses periodically and for
treasurers of parties to give statements of accounts to members.
“However, every Gambian has the right to choose to be or not to be a
member of political parties. The IEC should have held a validation
exercise before any draft bill dealing with the political parties is
submitted as a bill to the National Assembly,” said the PDOIS
Presidential Candidate.
He added that this has not been done and that many parties have
difficulties which must be understood if multi party democracy is to
be maintained.
“To deregister them on the grounds that they do not hav regional
bureaus when some of their executives are not sure whether their
security is guaranteed when they come to the Gambia is unacceptable,”