The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Coalition on Elections has recommended the need for intensive and continuous civic education by the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) to enlighten Gambians about the importance of elections in national development.
The recommendation came considering the issues and concerns that emerged from their observation of the recently concluded Local Government Election for Councils on 15th April 2023.
Among others the coalition observed a widespread low voter turnout which raises concern about the level of civic education in our population to realise the importance of local government elections, and elections in general.
In delivering its preliminary statement on its observation of the election during a joint report with the Elections Watch Committee, the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Coalition on Electionsstated that democracy and good governance which provide sustainable development cannot be guaranteed in the absence of popular participation.
"The quality of leadership and governance in the country rests squarely on the level of citizen participation," it pointed out.
They also reminded political parties that they have a duty to educate and encourage their supporters to go out and vote in order to build effective democracy and good governance. "Similarly, CSOs especially those involved in election observation work should dedicate considerable amount of their resources to voter education," according to the CSO Coalition on Elections.
It added that there is every reason to believe that part of the low voter turnout abnormality lies in the public's lack of or limited trust in politics, elected politicians, and democratic institutions such as the Executive, the Legislature, and local councils.
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Furthermore, it said citizens have not been able to realise significant socioeconomic gains from their votes hence dampening their hopes and aspirations in elected officials and representative institutions.
"Citizens do not vote for voting's sake. Rather, elections should serve as a means to bring opportunities, security and quality of life for people. In this regard, we wish to highlight and recommend that elected and representative institutions including political parties review themselves to ensure that they are indeed responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people in order to make elections a rewarding and meaningful exercise worthy of citizens" time and participation," further said the CSO Coalition.
The CSO Coalition on Elections also said that: "to ensure inclusive elections, the need to address the needs of persons with disabilities should be a priority for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). It therefore urged IEC to engage the Gambia Federation of the Disabled as well as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare and CSOs to seek ways on how to better serve persons with disabilities to effectively take part in elections.
