Opposition-PDOIS party promised to sue The Gambia government to the Abuja-based sub-regional ECOWAS Court, if the government and the country’s electoral commission fails to implement the opposition’s call for electoral reforms.
The party says it will do so relying on the decision taken at the 20th Ordinary Session of the continent’s human rights commission, ACHPR, at Grand Bay, Mauritius in 1996.
On the said decision, PDOIS pointed out that, the current administration, which came to power in 1994, had associated itself with the grievances the party filed against the former government.
PDOIS says the Jammeh’s administration promise to embark on electoral reforms had prompted the Session to consider that the matter was amicably resolved.
 PDOIS’ statement on the theme: ‘PDOIS on the national assembly elections: the old way no longer suffices, it is now time to pave a new way,’ came at a time when the country is warming up for March 29 parliamentary polls.
Below is an excepts as the dispatch reads in full on pages:  9
“We have called for a commission of enquiry on campaign financing because of the repeated allegation from the highest level of the APRC leadership that the opposition received Money from Embassies and people in the Diaspora and put it to their private use,” PDOIS says in a statement singed by Halifa Sallah, the secretary general of the party.
“The party leadership of the APRC at the highest level openly receives donations on National TV from foreign and local business persons and such donations come as news items.
“The State Corporation and private companies provide campaign materials in the form of T shirts and posters. The Director General of GRTS operates almost like a public relations officer of the President and the party. “Money and media, the most powerful forces in elections, are under the complete monopoly of the ruling party. In addition to this, the army, the police, the security forces in general are mobilized to join the entourage of Governors and Chiefs, who are also presidents of District tribunals, Council of elders, traditional and cultural opinion leaders to campaign for the party. School children are not spared and are given donations to have parties after strenuously waiting under the hot sun to welcome convoys of green boys, green girls and other party enthusiasts. Overzealous Islamic scholars give the leadership of the APRC saintly attributes and present them as God sent.  
“PDOIS will count itself out and many opposition parties, if not all, will count themselves out when it comes to such allegations.
 No opposition alliance stands the chance of winning 27 seats under such an electoral atmosphere. This is precisely the reason why we came to the conclusion that abuse of incumbency and financial deprivation of the opposition constitute the greatest obstacles to genuine multi party contest.
We observed that the National Assembly Elections are the only opportunity we have to prevent a de facto monarchy. In short, there are 52 members of the National Assembly excluding the Speaker. According to Section 226,  the Constitution cannot be amended unless the bill to amend it is supported by three quarters of the members of the National Assembly. Hence if the opposition has 14 Members in the National Assembly they would be able to stop the Constitution from being amended in any way that would undermine the interest of the people. Secondly, if the opposition has 27 seats it would have to be consulted to pass any law in the National Assembly.
PDOIS therefore resolved that if the ground for National Assembly contest is made reasonably level, we would try to convince our partners in the opposition to identify 27 seats which the opposition has greater possibility of contesting and winning and then identify the party and candidate that could best win the seat and then ensure that only that party and candidate contests the seat. This should constitute our maximum strategic goal for the National Assembly elections.
Secondly, we also observed that 14 seats out of the 27 seats should be identified which lend greater chance of victory to the opposition and then identify the parties which are best suited to file winnable candidates  and then support those candidates as our minimum strategic goal for the National Assembly Elections.