GANU SLAMS NPP OVER INCREMENT OF ELECTION NOMINATION FEES

The Gambia Alliance for National Unity (GANU) has accused the governing National People’s Party (NPP) for using its majority in the National Assembly to orchestrate the increment of nomination fees for elections.
In a press statement, GANU said the decision is calculated to deprive poor Gambians of the right to contest. The full statement from the party reads: “GANU is deeply concerned with the recent decision of the NPP Government to increase nomination fees of aspiring candidates for elections. The NPP on Tuesday used their majority in the National Assembly to approve amendments to the Elections Bill that now means that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) shall be enjoin to only accept nominations of those aspiring presidential candidates who can pay D1 million deposit; D150, 000 for National Assembly; D100,000 for mayoral and chairperson and D10,000, for Ward Councior aspiring candidates. We take the view that this decision by Barrow’s government, using the National Assembly, is unacceptable and must be condemned by every Gambian including civil society, political parties and independent candidates.
This action of the NPP Government is an attempt to undermine our democracy and to deprive the poor and the needy average Gambian from exercising their right to seek public office through election. Where on earth can most Gambians afford D1 million) deposit? How about the average Gambian who wants to either contest as a Parliamentarian or Councillor? Where can they afford the D150, 000 or D10,000 in addition to other activity budget for their election into public office? Even if candidates will be sponsored by their parties, there are independent candidates who sponsor everything on their own.
This decision to increase election nomination fees or deposit is totally unacceptable. We say this because when nomination fees or deposits were increased in 2015 before the 2016 presidential elections, from D10,000 to D500,000, and for National Assembly Members from D5,000 to D50,000, the current president Adama Barrow and the United Democratic Party that he belonged to at the time, characterised the amendment as a deliberate attempt to thwart the democratic process. And, in March 2017, even before the coalition government settled down, the first legislative decisions made by President Barrow and his coalition led government included amending the Elections Act thereby reducing the deposits introduced by the 2015 amendment. The justice minister then said the reduction of the deposits elective candidates pay encourage widespread participation of the ordinary citizenry in the new democratic dispensation. In this regard therefore, the new increments by Barrow from D10,000 to D1milion for a presidential candidate, an increase from D5,000 to D150,000 for National Assembly candidates is also hypocritical because it has significantly surpassed the 2015 increment threshold that he himself condemned.
Therefore, GANU enjoins all opposition political parties and aspiring independent candidates to all speak up with one voice against this undemocratic increments of the deposits elective candidates pay to discourage widespread participation of the ordinary citizenry in elections in 2026 and beyond.
Barrow’s decision is very unfair and discriminatory because The Gambia is still classified among the 15 poorest countries in the world and as a low-income, food-deficient country (LIFDC) where on average, 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line (USD 1 per day). President Barrow must remember that he also hailed from very humble beginnings and thus he must revisit his decision to discriminate against poor Gambians including those who have voted for his NPP Party to try to entrench himself in power by all means.
We in GANU believe in participatory democracy whereby everyone has the right to participate in politics in an enabling and fair environment including the imposition of affordable fees/deposits for candidates seeking political offices. It is thus very unfortunate that instead of the government to try to investigate the source of funding of parties including NPP, to ensure that the sponsors are not threats to national security, they are busy increasing the nomination fees to block the opposition from challenging them. What a sad nation under Barrow? If this decision is anything to go by, one might be tempted to ask if Barrow’s government is even encouraging money laundering and illegal acquisition of wealth to participate in electoral processes.
GANU therefore calls on all political parties, the Inter-Party Committee, stakeholders and Civil Society Organisations to come together and organise a peaceful protest against the National Assembly’s decision to approve the increments of election deposits for candidates.
Finally, GANU enjoins the civil society and political parties and aspiring independent candidates to institute a class action in the Supreme Court of The Gambia to declare the Barrow election deposit increments as incompatible with our constitutional provision on the rights of citizens to partake in seeking political office.”

Source: The Standard