By Haddy Touray
The Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Joseph Colley has said the removal of interviews from the voter registration process had limited the IEC’s ability to independently establish whether applicants are Gambian citizens.
The IEC Chairman made the statement during recent interview with West Coast Radio.
He says the commission is required to register eligible applicants who present valid documents recognized under the law, leaving officials with limited authority to question an applicant’s nationality beyond the documents submitted.
“If anybody comes with a genuine document, we register,” Colley said.
He explained that interviews were previously part of the registration process and allowed officials to question applicants where concerns arose, but Parliament removed the requirement before the 2021 voter registration exercise.
Under the current system, applicants can establish eligibility using a Gambian passport, birth certificate, national identity card or attestation.
Colley noted that the IEC did not issue passports or national identity cards and therefore relied on documents issued by other government institutions.
Attestations, another recognized form of documentation, are issued through local authorities.
He said the IEC had introduced regulations to strengthen the attestation process, including tighter rules on which Alkalolu (Village heads) are authorized to issue attestations for voter registration.
The chairman also acknowledged concerns surrounding older birth certificates, saying documents issued under previous systems may still be accepted where they remained legally recognized.
The situation, he said, presented a challenge for the commission as it was responsible for registering eligible Gambian citizens while operating within procedures established by law.
“We register based on the documents,” he said, adding that the IEC could not simply reject an applicant as a non-Gambian if the person presented valid documentation recognized under the law.
Voter registration is restricted to Gambian citizens aged 18 years and above.
Colley said objections raised during registration could challenge an applicant’s nationality, age or other eligibility requirements, but such cases must ultimately be assessed within the legal framework governing voter registration.
His remarks come amid continued scrutiny of voter eligibility and documentation ahead of the 2026 elections, placing additional pressure on the IEC to safeguard the integrity of the voter register while operating within its statutory mandate.