The Independent Electoral Commission has issued a statement clarifying that the blank voters cards found near its offices were part of the old stock of the 2011 and 2016 voter registration exercises.

Hundreds of blank voters cards were found recently near the headquarters of the Commission in Kanifing, sparking vote rigging concern over the December 4 presidential election.

But the Commission said there should not be any concerns about the integrity of the upcoming elections. 

“The IEC hereby clarifies that these blank voters’ cards were remainder of the old stock of the 2011 and 2016 voter registration exercises which are presently being disposed of to provide space for the arrival of new stock of voters’ cards due in The Gambia in few weeks,” the Commission said in a statement on Tuesday. 

“The IEC wishes to inform everyone that these blank voters’ cards were never in the database of the IEC. 

“It may interest the general public to note that these cards are going to be obsolete upon the commencement of the general voter registration on 29th May 2021,” the statement added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba