By Landing Ceesay
The Leader of the People Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) Halifa Sallah said December 4th Presidential election will be his last attempt to run for Presidency.
“I am here to make the last attempt to march to the citadel of power. Precisely we are here today because we didn’t march to the citadel of power weeding in a pool of blood. We are nowhere to seek your mandate in order to reach there, 72 % of the population being young. This is my last attempt. I am going to leave you here. I have done my part, I committed that all my life I will live to eradicate the poverty of my people not only the Gambian People, but the whole African people.
“What are we going to do in 2021? That’s why we are talking about system change. Go to your villages, no electricity, no water supply, women with calluses hands of producing vegetables and cannot find a market for them. They live in poverty, grow in poverty, age in poverty and die in poverty. That is what we wish to end, how? By using your wealth and a D23, billion is your budget this coming year. The ocean is here others are exploiting it, you have a navy that could have transformed into a productive force to have fishing trawlers to feed your population, to export and more,” Halifa told Journalists shortly after submitting his nomination documents to the IEC.
On day 5 of the nomination, the PDOIS leader, GANU, GAP and independent aspirant Tamsir M. Jasseh filed their papers between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm.
The nomination of presidential aspirants continues tomorrow at the Election House in Kanifing with the National People’s Party and two independent candidates- Essa Mbye Faal and Matarr Nyang scheduled to appear between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm.
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 the 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.