The opposition parties consider the mandate of the IEC Chairman to have expired. The IEC Chairman probably does not see any reason why he should consult political parties before fixing the electoral Calendar.
Hence parties learned about the Calendar through the media. This is out of line with good practice.
The standards for ECOWAS members are provided for in the Protocol On Democracy And Good Governance
Article 3 reads:
“The bodies responsible for organising the elections shall be independent or neutral and shall have the confidence of all the political actors. Where necessary, appropriate national consultations shall be organised to determine the nature and the structure of the bodies.”
It is necessary for the IEC to realise that it is not an Island onto itself. It cannot win the confidence of political actors if it does not consult them before making major decisions which affect them. 2016 is a decisive year and Gambians are likely to see the most momentous period of their history in 2016. Foroyaa will capture every detail for posterity.
