Abdoulie G. Dibba
Hamat N.K. Bah, the Secretary General and Leader of the National
Reconciliation Party (NRP) has called on the National Assembly Members
to reject the proposed amendment of Section 43 of the Election Act
which seeks to increase the deposit of a presidential candidate to One
Million Dalasi (D1, 000, 000).Mr. Bah said the intention of the APRC government is to bring a one
party state in the Gambia.
The NRP leader said this at a press conference convened yesterday,
Tuesday, 16th June 2015, at their party headquarters on Kairaba
Avenue.
Mr. Bah read out Section 43 to the press, stating that
the deposit for a presidential candidate is Ten Thousand Dalasi (D10,
000). He added that the Constitution also provides for the deposit of
Five Thousand Dalasi (D5,000) for a Member of the National Assembly,
Two Thousand Five Hundred Dalasi (D2,500) for the office of mayor and
mayoress and One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Dalasi (D1,250) for a
councillor.
According to Mr. Bah, the proposed amendment of this Principal Act
i.e. Section 43 is seeking to the raise the amounts from Ten Thousand
Dalasi to 1 Million Dalasi for the deposit of a presidential
candidate; from Five Thousand Dalasi to One Hundred Thousand Dalasi for
a Member of the National Assembly; from Two Thousand Five Hundred
Dalasi to Fifty Thousand Dalasi for mayor or mayoress and from
One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Dalasi to Ten Thousand Dalasi for
the office of a councillor.
He added that the deposits referred to in sub¬ section (1) shall be
“non- refundable”.
The NRP leader concluded by calling on the National Assembly Members
to reject the propose amendment which, he said, is unreasonable and
unjustifiable.
“The increment would have been reasonable and justifiable if it was
from D10, 000 to D50, 000,” said Mr. Bah.]]>
