NCCE on voter education ahead of Local Gov’t Elections
By Cherno Omar Bobb
As Gambians prepare to vote in yet another Local Government Election for Councilors and Chairpersons/Mayors on April 15th, 2023, the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) last Saturday began an intensive civic and voter education campaign ahead of the elections proper.
At Kanopeh, Wuli East, Upper River Region, Ansuman Cessay, Senior Programme Officer for the NCCE, said the main objective of the sensitisation campaign is to enhance political consciousness and promote tolerance as well as increase public awareness about civic rights and duties in a democracy.
The campaign, he added, would also enlighten the public on the importance and roles of local government to spur popular participation and increase voter turnout in the upcoming elections.
“The sensitisation campaign messages focus on principles of democracy, importance of voting and holding elections, political rights, importance of councils and role/functions of Councilors and Chairpersons/Mayors, qualifications and disqualification for membership of local councils, important dates in the electoral calendar, campaign ethics, code of conduct for election and political tolerance.”
Ceesay noted that the activity which is part of several outreach interventions by the NCCE is expected to last for ten days, covering 40 communities in the Central River (CRR) and Upper River Regions (URR).
Participants at various community sensitisation engagements commended NCCE for the timely intervention, saying the advocacy will not only equip them with the requisite information for effective participation in the upcoming Local Government Elections, but more importantly help them to be able to be critical and make informed choices in a peaceful and stable manner.
COB/01/03/23
