THE DRIVE TO EXPAND PARTICIPATION IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

97

The election atmosphere is gradually becoming dominant. Public discourse is beginning to center around elections. Civil society organistions are waking up to the call for mass participation and peaceful conduct during the December 1 2016 presidential election. It is important for all to know how that participation is to be shown.

First and foremost, there can be no candidate to elections unless they are nominated by 5000 registered voters. Those who want to participate should nominate the candidate of their choice and proceed further to mobilise others to nominate.

It is crucial for people not to see the office of president to be the property of those who seek to occupy the post. It should be seen as the property of each sovereign voter among the 886,578 voters. Each voter should decide who should occupy that position and if one strongly feels that a given person could best serve the interest of all then one should not hesitate to fill a nomination form so that that person will be qualified to stand.

A conscious voter will be willing to go from house to house to promote the nomination of the candidate of one’s choice.

After nomination the conscious voter would proceed to attend rallies to form the crowd that build the clout of the candidate of their choice. The conscious voter will proceed to be the first to be on the line. It is also interesting to know that the IEC is conducting voter education to combat voter apathy so that all registered voters will cast their vote. If each registered voter understands that the vote is his or her might to determine how this country is governed then we should expect the largest turn out of voters.

On Sunday 30 October 2016 the country would know who the coalition flag bearer is. This will set a new political atmosphere into motion. Foroyaa is therefore expecting the December 1, 2016 election to be one of the most decisive elections in Gambian history.