The Gambia’s umbrella body of civil society organisations, Tango, has called for Gambians in the diaspora to be given the right to vote in elections. 

Tango is also demanding urgent reforms of the country’s electoral system to address the issues of attestation, campaign finance among others. 

Speaking to Gambiana exclusively, Tango’s chairperson Yadicon Njie Eribo said: “we are disturbed by the lack of legal reforms surrounding elections. We are even more concerned that for many years now the Election Bill has not been passed at the National Assembly.”

“The issues of attestation, diaspora voting, campaign financing and the timing and the combining of elections such as councillor and mayoral/chairperson elections among other issues are all pertinent to achieving high voter turnout, the attainment of free and fair elections and the upholding of the rights of all Gambians,” she added. 

“We wish to therefore call on the National Assembly, the government, and the political parties to take urgent steps to ensure that the Election Bill captures all international electoral norms and best practices to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. 

“We wish to also call for necessary and urgent institutional reforms at the IEC in order to modernise its operations with the use of technology to become more effective and efficient in its conduct and oversight of elections and electoral stakeholders,” she continued.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba