The West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has validated a three-year strategic plan for a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) on elections in The Gambia.

The strategic plan, Development Diaries understands, was designed to bring coherence to the coalition, thereby facilitating civil society participation in elections.

WANEP Country Director Salama Njie said the validation was the first since the coalition was established over a decade and half ago.

She said the non-existence of a strategic plan limited the operation of the coalition to promote democratic governance through active citizen engagement in electoral processes.

‘It also affected the coalition’s outreach engagement, visibility, and national presence’, she said.

‘The emerging challenges and opportunities within the election and governance ecosystem call for the need to foster and strengthen active citizen engagement in the electoral process thus the need for the establishment of the coalition which was established in 2006 to facilitate civil society participation in elections’.

Njie said the draft plan highlighted four strategic objectives which include voter education and promoting gender inclusion.

Human rights activist and a member of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in The Gambia (TANGO), Madi Jobateh, applauded WANEP and its partners for developing the coalition strategic plan, stressing that a strong civil society coalition was important.

The Gambia’s next presidential election has been scheduled to hold on 04 December, 2021, according to the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

According to a statement issued by the IEC, nominations days for presidential candidates will run from 30 October to 05 November, 2021.

Source: The Point

Photo source: Tim Evanson