By: Abdoulie Fatty and Mustapha Jallow
Foroyaa has learned that two Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) voter registration centres stationed at Manduar in the West Coast Region, are sharing a printing machine to issue voter’s cards to villagers.
This comes on the heels of a printer break down at Manduar Touba-kunda on Saturday, 3rd July 2021.
Amfaal Conteh, IEC Supervisor and Head of the mobile team at Manduar Touba-kunda, informed this medium that the centre at Mandar Mandinka-kunda usually prints first and then borrows them the printer for them to also print voters’ cards at their center (Manduar Touba-kunda).
He said when their printer broke down; voter’s cards were issued to villagers a day after their details were taken. “But now that we are sharing the same printer, villagers sit for half an hour to one hour before the cards are issued to them,” he said.
Scores of villagers have said that the voter registration is slow.
Hoja Ceesay, a villager, said she got her voter’s card three days after her details were taken at the registration centre.
“Is just received my card now. I have been coming here all these days, but thank God I have received my car today,” she said.
Ba Jerreh Bojang, Manduar Mandinka-kunda Alkalo was also reached out via phone, and he told this medium that the technical problem is slowing the registration process.
Bojang added that the printer is giving the community and IEC a tough time as it is sometimes taken to Wolof-Kunda in order for those people to be registered and after it is brought back to Mankinka-Kunda for the IEC officers to continue the voter registration.
“This is what is going on now on the ground,” the Alkalo said.
The Manduar Touba-kunda Alkalo was also contacted for him to comment on the matter, but he could not be reached on phone.
Earlier on, Alhajie Alieu Momar Njai, the Chairman of IEC, was on Wednesday asked whether the technical issue has been resolved and he responded in the affirmative.
“Yes, it’s resolved now,” he said and quickly referred the reporter to contact the IEC’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sambujang Njie. He said: “Check with CEO Njie, not me.”
CEO Njie was also contacted via telephone. Njie promised to find out from the regional office in Brikama and get back to this reporter.
He said: “As soon as I get the information, I will let you know.”
