By Haddy Touray
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and stakeholder engagement as it briefed political parties, development partners and civil society organisations on preparations for The Gambia’s 5 December 2026 presidential election.
The stakeholder forum, held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, brought together representatives of political parties, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), civil society organisations and the media.
IEC Chairman Joseph Colley said the commission would continue to implement its open-door policy by providing timely information and updates throughout the electoral process.
“The commission will not relent in sharing information and providing relevant updates to all stakeholders as and when necessary,” Colley said, describing the meeting as a platform for constructive dialogue on electoral matters.
The briefing focused on activities following the conclusion of the 2026 Supplementary Voter Registration exercise, which ended on 21 May. Colley said the exercise was monitored by political parties, civil society organisations, the media and international partners, and was conducted in accordance with electoral laws requiring voters to be Gambian citizens aged at least 18 years by election day.
He said the commission had moved to the voter verification and adjudication phase following the compilation of the provisional voter register, commending the IEC’s Information Technology Department and Electoral Services International for their support.
According to Colley, the provisional register will be validated through revising courts, where objections and appeals may be lodged upon payment of the statutory fee of D50.
He announced that the provisional voter lists would be displayed at registration centres nationwide from 7 July to enable voters to verify their details and request corrections where necessary.
“We therefore encourage voters and stakeholders to properly and meticulously scrutinise the lists for the purpose of corrections,” he said.
Colley added that each registered political party would receive a complimentary electronic copy of the provisional voter register.
On duplicate registrations, the IEC chairman said the adjudication process reduced the number of suspected duplicate registrations from 24,058 to 14,334.
He said that following consultations with representatives of 15 registered political parties on 29 June, the commission agreed to delete duplicate entries recorded during the 2026 supplementary registration while retaining the corresponding records contained in the 2021 voter register.
Colley warned that cases involving suspected fraudulent registration would be referred for investigation and possible prosecution to protect the integrity of the voters’ roll.
He also announced that the commission would provide a limited period before the presidential election for registered voters to replace lost, damaged or mutilated voter cards to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.
The IEC, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), will also organise training for journalists, civil society organisations, police officers and other election stakeholders to promote a peaceful and credible electoral process.
“The commission reassures the electorate and all stakeholders of its continued commitment to delivering free, fair, transparent, credible and inclusive elections,” Colley said.