By Ramatoulie Jawo
Amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Lady Councilor elections, a group of women in the Kanifing Municipality (KM) boycotted the regional election on Saturday.
Seven women who applied for the position of lady councilor across the seven wards in KM boycotted the election, citing bias and unfairness in the process.
Speaking to Kerr Fatou, Matty Kanyi, the Women’s Representative of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and a former councilor, emphasized that the situation in The Gambia is dominated by partisan politics.
“The only thing in the Gambia is Partisan politics, but if you say, I chose this woman for the people of Jeshwang, or other constituencies, and they are unable to work with that woman. I told the coordinator that I was selected in KMC here as a lady councilor for so many years, and I know the way I was selected. But if you choose a woman who cannot work with other women at the grassroots level, cannot work with Councilors, The National Assembly Member, or the mayor, is She only going to work with The President?” she asked.
Kanyi mentioned that she asked the Governor, who assured them that they would follow the women’s wishes. However, she observed, “But when I went inside today, I noticed they are doing what the NPP wants.”
She alleged that all these issues stemmed from Fatou Kinteh, the Minister of Women’s Affairs, who was appointed by the President. However, she accused the minister of being the one responsible for causing the women distress.
Kaddy Darboe, who applied under the Talinding Ward, expressed her disappointment with the election process, stating that it was unlike anything she had experienced before, as none of the rules they were given were followed.
“They informed us that women leaders from the community, as well as those whose organizations are registered with the AG Chambers, would be the ones to guarantee us at the Alkalos so we could vote. After complying with all the requirements, they suddenly called us one day, asking for a copy of our ID card. After that, we heard nothing until about three weeks ago, when they told us to come to the Governor’s House for an interview. The interviews were only conducted in the KMC region, and we were instructed not to bring anyone with us,” she explained.
Darboe added that she was disqualified without a proper explanation. “They said I should have copied my ID Card, not my birth certificate. They should have informed us earlier, not on the day of the interview. They told me their instructions came from the top and could not be changed,” she said.
Binneh Marong, a former Women’s Representative of KMC, also criticized the gender minister for failing them. “If women empower you to represent us, you should stand for us. How can a governor select women to represent their communities? The ministry failed us, but we will continue to fight.”
Marong emphasized that the selected lady councilor should advocate for women’s rights. “The former Vice President stood for women’s rights in The Gambia when the ministry was under him, but now everything is politicized,” she concluded.