State House, Banjul, 13th April 2021:
President Adama Barrow said it is important that the country have an independent and impartial electoral body to conduct free and fair elections. He made the remarks at the swearing-in ceremony of the Vice-Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Mr Joseph Colley, today at the State House. While congratulating the new electoral Commissioner, President Barrow pledged his government’s commitment to a free and fair election, stating, “As a government, the political will is 100 per cent, that we conduct free and fair elections. Africa and the entire world is looking up to The Gambia and 2021 is a very important year for this country.”
Having sworn-in to the oaths of office, secrecy and allegiance to the country, Mr Colley extended his appreciation to the President for the trust bestowed on him and pledged to perform as expected to maintain the integrity of the Electoral Commission. “Being elevated from the secretariat to the Commission has caused me to reaffirm my unwavering commitment and courage to ensure the creation of a more level playing field in the political arena as the electoral laws of The Gambia have called for,” said Mr Colley. He added that election is the business of all, as such implored all political parties and the stakeholders to support the Commission in making The Gambia’s electoral process the most peaceful, trusted and acceptable.