With barely 48 hours to go before the much-hyped National Assembly elections, the Inspector-General of the Gambia Police Force, Musa Mboob, has expressed his office’s resolve to maintain law and order on voting day and the day after, saying that the security of the country will not be compromised.

Speaking at a briefing session for election observers held yesterday at Kairaba Beach Hotel, the police chief said that his office would work hand in glove with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure a trouble-free election.

For Mboob, security is so paramount in the consideration of the state security service that no stone would be left unturned in putting in place contingency measures to address any eventuality that could endanger the peaceful holding of the election. He said that they would deplore two security officers to each polling station, adding that these officers are answerable to the returning officers. The security officers, he went on, would be instructed to abide by the regulations given to them by the IEC.

He further informed the gathering that there will also be a stand by unit and mobile team, all geared towards providing maximum security on the election day.

Also briefing election observers, the IEC Chairman, Alhaji Mustapha Carayol, disclosed that his office has concluded all protocols to make the forthcoming legislative elections a total success. “Having drawn lessons from the presidential polls, the IEC has already recruited, trained and employed 90 Assistant Returning Officers to work in the 43 constituencies countrywide.
There will be a counting centre in each constituency. There are seven collation centres located at the IEC regional offices except in Mansakonko where the collation centre will be at the Rural Development Institute. 3033 polling staff are contracted to render quality service to the voters, stakeholders and partners at the polling stations,” Chairman Carayol concluded.