Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 27245, member: 2262"] The 1997 Constitution of The Gambia states every person over 18 can register and vote in public elections. This applies to all citizens, whether they live inside or outside the country. Back in April 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the election body to follow this rule by signing up Gambians living abroad. The election officials then included this right in their reform plans through Elections Bill 2021. The Independent Electoral Commission worked on rules that would let overseas Gambians vote. They planned to decide which countries would have voting stations and who would run those stations. The bill moved through several steps in the National Assembly and reached the consideration phase. At this point, lawmakers can vote to change different parts of the bill before making it law. On March 4, 2025, something major happened during a regular National Assembly meeting. Members voted against letting overseas Gambians vote from their current homes. The count showed 25 against and only 14 supporting diaspora voting rights. The term "diaspora" means Gambians living anywhere outside the country, not just those in Europe or America. This decision forces Gambians abroad to travel home four separate times during an election cycle just to participate. Most cannot afford these expensive trips. Fair elections should not require voters to spend huge amounts of money just to cast their ballots. The government could easily use existing embassies as registration centers instead of making people travel. The clear purpose of the constitution was to give all Gambians voting rights no matter where they live. Currently, overseas Gambians can technically register but must physically return home first. This expensive requirement defeats the entire purpose of Section 39 in the constitution. Both the constitution and the Supreme Court ruling established that eligible citizens should vote regardless of where they live. Section 88 of the constitution recognizes 53 voting districts called constituencies. All voter registration happens within these areas. According to Section 50 of the constitution, a group called the Boundaries Commission should create these voting districts. Since no law has created this commission yet, the election body handles this job instead. The constitution states that until Parliament forms a Boundaries Commission, the election group can create constituencies after talking with government departments. In 2015, the constitution changed to increase constituencies from 48 to 53. Legal experts question whether creating overseas voting districts requires another constitutional change or if the election body already has this power. Since 1996, Gambian law intended for citizens abroad to vote in presidential elections. The election officials can make rules for foreign voting according to the 1996 Elections Decree. The recent National Assembly decision should inspire political leaders to work together on needed constitutional changes. The 2024 Draft Constitution could easily add more constituencies for Gambians living around the world. [/QUOTE]

Name