According to section 39 of the Constitution, every Citizen who has attained the age of 18 has the right to be registered as a voter and participate in public elections and referenda.
However since the Constitution came into force in 1997 there has been no attempt to get Gambians in the diaspora to be registered as voters and vote in any public election or referendum. Suppose the National Assembly adopts the Draft Constitution 2024 in its first session next year, will there be adequate time to prepare the legal framework and registration of Gambians in the diaspora, bearing in mind that the Constitution permits the IEC six months to conduct a referendum after adoption by the National Assembly?
Secondly there are many Gambians who did not register as voters in 2021 either because they had not attained the age or were not then in The Gambia. Does the IEC have the capacity to conduct supplementary registration and prepare for a referendum at the same time within six months? IEC officials don’t wish to comment on these matters at the moment.
However these are pertinent issues that need consideration at this moment with a view to ensuring that every citizen who is entitled to vote is given the opportunity at every election and referendum.
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