Gambia Democratic Congress leader
By Landing Ceesay
The Leader of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) Mama Kandeh has assured that the GDC government would unite Gambians.
“If I am elected into the office as President, the first thing I will do is to unite Gambians because we are so divided. A GDC government will try to do anything possible to bring Gambians together. Whoever becomes a President in this country, if you are not making any effort to reunite Gambians you will realise no development. The second thing I will work on is the health sector. We have seen the situation in our health sector and I think this is a priority. The sectors I will work on are education and the agricultural sector,” GDC leader Mama Kandeh said.
He added that his government would fight corruption to the latter and alleged that the Barrow administration never fired or dismissed anyone for corruption.
“I believe as a Gambian, if I have to represent, I will represent everybody. We are going to fight corruption to the latter. There are many ways to fight corruption. Since the current administration came into power we haven’t seen or heard anybody being fired or dismissed from his or her position because of corruption, and we all know that corruption is rampant in this country,” he alleged.
The GDC leader first enjoined his fellow politicians and Gambians to maintain the peace the country enjoys as no development can hold in the absence of it.
“My message to Gambians and my colleague political party leaders is that without peace, there will be no development. My message has always been peace and everybody can attest to that. Without peace, we can’t achieve our goals. So I hope every Gambian, (and) all political parties will want to maintain the peace and tranquility of this country.
Day 4 (Tuesday) of the nomination process at IEC headquarters, Kandeh, independent aspirants Mamadi K.S. Camara and Momodou Bah (2) as well as Citizens’ Alliance leader presented their credentials to the IEC for consideration.
The nomination of presidential aspirants continues tomorrow at the Election House in Kanifing with GANU, PDOIS, GAP and independent aspirant Tamsir M. Jasseh scheduled to file their papers between 9:30am and 2:30pm.
The process would complete on Friday, and the details of the aspirants are on Saturday expected to be published for public scrutiny, before the Electoral Commission would either accept or reject them.
For a successful nomination every aspirant should be a citizen of The Gambia; attain a minimum age of thirty years; complete senior secondary school education; be ordinarily resident in The Gambia for the five years immediately preceding the election; be nominated by not less than five thousand voters whose names appeared in the register of voters with at least two hundred voters being drawn from each Administrative Area; present a sworn declaration of assets; present a tax clearance certificate; make payment of deposit of Ten-thousand dalasi (D10, 000) as amended; have a representative symbol, colour and his/her photographs; be qualified as a voter under the Constitution and the Election Act may contest as an independent candidate in any election; shall abide by the code on election campaign ethics which the Commission may time to time prepare as a political party/candidate; and submit a manifesto which encourages the spirit of tolerance and multiculturalism.