The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Coalition on Elections - The Gambia has rated the 2008 local government elections as free and fair, but bemoaned the low voter turnout that clouded the polls.

According to reports reaching the Daily Observer, the CSO Coalition observed that there were no undue restrictions on the participation of any eligible Gambian, nor was anyone coerced or intimidated to vote against his or her will or obstructed to vote.

"We have noted the hitches associated with the elections, but these are not in any way significant enough to adversely change the nature of the elections. The polls passed on peacefully with no incidence of violence reported."

In the light of the foregoing, the CSO Coalition - coordinated by WANEP Gambia - said the recent elections reflect the will of the people of The Gambia. It then commended Gambians for exercising their civic duty responsibly and peacefully. It equally commended the IEC for successfully conducting the elections.

Concerns

Meanwhile, the coalition expressed concern about the "disturbing" decline in voter turnout in spite of the intense voter education that the IEC and NCCE (National Council for Civic Education) had engaged in through the media.

In an attempt to address the high voter apathy, the coalition reiterated the need to publish the findings of the study funded by the UNDP to examine the factors responsible for the low voter turnout during the last elections.

Furthermore, considering the fact that The Gambia has a very youthful population and more than half of its eligible voters are under the age of 30, the CSO Coalition recommended that to improve voter turnout considerably, the youths must be actively and consciously involved in the voter education exercises and campaigns and should also be the primary focus of such exercises.

The coalition also expressed concerns about the shortcomings and limitations on the part of party agents, physically challenged voters, participation of the media, crowd and traffic control during political campaigns.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the CSO Coalition re-echoed that elections are an integral and indispensable component of democracy and development.

"We urge all stakeholders to take note of these issues with a view to improving our electoral system.

The coalition wishes to renew its commitment to play its rightful role in the democratic development of The Gambia as citizens and representatives of the civil society. We are willing and ready to cooperate and support the IEC and all other stakeholders to ensure that elections are conducted in The Gambia in a free and fair manner within the overall objective of promoting accountable, inclusive governance and the rule of law."