At least 30 members of the Civil Society Coalition on elections in The Gambia, on Wednesday, started a training on election observation at the Association of Farmer Educators and Traders Headquarters in Brikama, ahead of January 25 National Assembly elections.

The three-day UNDP andUS Embassy-backed training will expose partcipants, mainly drawn from Western Region, to a wide range of areas, inlcuding the principles of election observation; electoral system and process in The Gambia; conduct of voter and civic education; international election observation; voting, counting and closing processes; personal security and safety; National Assembly election process; data collection and evaluation exercise.

Opening the training, Abdou Badjie, Governor of Western Region, welcomed the training and stressed the importance of home-grown election observers in the democratic advancement of the country. “If we want our elections to be free and fair, we should have local observers to give a proper assessment of the electoral process,” he said.

Governor Badjie added that a free and fair breeds peace will discourage anarchy and undemocratic practices.

He then thanked the UNDP and the US Embassy for funding the training, and then urged participants to live up to the challenges.

Pamela Cole, National Coordinator of West African Network for Peace-building (Wanep), told the partcipants to rise above political affiliation and execute their civic duties in line with their mandate. She informed the gathering that the CSO would remain to participate in future elections, as well as observe other international elections.

Ms Cole then expounded on the programme areas of Wanep, including good governance, saying the network has been operating in 12 other countries in Africa. She then affirmed the Network’s commitment work towards the sustainability of peace in the country, through its string of programme of activities.

Welcoming the participants, Dembo Santang Bojang, Chief of Kombo Central, said international observers may not know the realities of Gambian people. “But you know us and it is important you do your duties correctly. Write what you see. You have to show your ability to conduct your own affair,” he said.

Ousman Yarbo, Director of Tango, urged the participants to stick to facts in the dispensation of their duties, adding that “whatever you say and whatever you write, has an impact on somebody. We in this country should be able to paddle our own canoes. We should be able to discuss our own elections. We should be able to say this is right, this is wrong, that is the way forward.”

According to Mr Yarbo, The Gambia has the expertise to observe its election, citing the National Council for Civic Education as an example. “If we are able to observe the elections successfully, the glory is ours,” he noted.

Dawda Jallow, official of NCCE, described the election observation as a civic duty and require a high sense of loyalty to a country and understanding of the process. “What is expected of you is to serve as an eye for the public. Report on what you see and allow the public to be the judge,” he said.