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| Registered | 962,157 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 89.34% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 The Gambiaportal |
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 4 December 2021. [1] The result was a victory for incumbent President Adama Barrow of the National People's Party, who received 53% of the vote, defeating five other candidates.
The President of the Gambia is elected in a single round by first-past-the-post voting for a five-year term. [2] Registered voters receive a voter's card which must be presented at the assigned polling station. After verifying eligibility, a polling officer marks the voter's left forefinger with indelible ink. [3]
Instead of using paper ballots, elections in the Gambia are conducted using marbles. Each voter receives a marble and places it in a tube on top of a sealed drum that corresponds to that voter's favoured candidate. The drums for different candidates are painted in different colours corresponding to the party affiliation of the candidate, and a picture of the candidate is affixed to their corresponding drum. The drums are placed in the booth concealed from the officials to preserve ballot secrecy; the insertion of a marble rings a bell inside to signal that the vote has been cast. [4] [3] As a precaution against COVID-19, for this election sanitizer was provided at the entrances and exits of the booth. [5]
During the tallying process, a candidate's drum is unsealed and its contents emptied in batches on hole boards with a capacity of 200 to 500 marbles each. Once the tellers agree on the number of marbles, the drum is refilled and retained for use in a recount, and the tellers pass to the next candidate's urn. This process, repeated in each polling station, is very fast; the results are generally known at the national level the day after the vote. [6]
The system has the advantages of low cost and simplicity, both for understanding how to vote and for counting the results. The method is reported to have an extremely low error rate for miscast ballots. [4]
In the 2016 presidential elections, Adama Barrow defeated the incumbent Yahya Jammeh who had been in power for over 20 years. Jammeh acknowledged defeat but then subsequently refused to step down, resulting in a constitutional crisis. Barrow eventually took office under ECOWAS intervention, with Jammeh fleeing to Equatorial Guinea where he remains in exile. Barrow had been a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and ran in 2016 as the presidential candidate of Coalition 2016, a collection of opposition groups seeking to unseat Jammeh. [7]
In July 2018, the government began drafting a new constitution whose features would ensure a genuine separation of powers, limiting the presidency to a five-year term, renewable once, and introducing two-round voting instead of one. [8] [9] They had already voted to remove the constitutional age limit of 65 for presidents and vice-presidents. [10] In accordance with the 1997 constitution, the draft constitution must first be approved by a qualified majority of three-quarters of parliamentarians before a possible referendum. The 58 members of the National Assembly, however, were divided on whether the new term limits were retroactive; Barrow could conceivably run for a third term if his first, begun under the previous constitution, was not taken into account. [11] These dissensions caused a rift between Barrow and UDP leader Ousainou Darboe, who was then Vice-President. In a cabinet reshuffle on 15 February 2019, Barrow replaced Darboe and all UDP ministers; ten months later, he founded his own party, the National People's Party (NPP). [12] [7]
This rift between Barrow and the UDP drew attention to a previously-overlooked item in the Coalition 2016 manifesto. As the Coalition's immediate objective was to defeat Jammeh, its founding charter stipulated that Barrow would lead a provisional government, then withdraw to allow for an early presidential election where all opposition candidates except himself could have presented themselves under fully free and democratic conditions. An association of political parties and civil society organisations began large demonstrations in 2019 under the name "Three Years Jotna" (Jotna meaning "it is time" in Wolof) to insist that Barrow keep this promise. However, Barrow had now decided to serve out his term, and promised "serious consequences" to all those who supported the movement. 100 demonstrators were arrested, and the movement was officially banned. [13] [14]
After these events, the NPP members in the Assembly joined the party of former president Jammeh in opposing the new constitution. The draft was rejected in a second reading on 22 September 2020, with only 31 MPs voting for — 23 MPs against and 4 abstaining — far from the required majority of 44 votes. [15] [16]
Barrow received criticism from opposing parties and civil society for extending the stay of ECOMIG forces in Gambia as late as 2021. [17] A 2021 survey conducted by CepRass for Afrobarometer showed 78% support for ending the mission and letting the national Armed Forces and Police take charge. [18]
Nominations were accepted between 30 October and 5 November. [19] From twenty-one nominees, [20] six candidates were approved to run by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC): [21] [22]
| Name | Party | Position | Slogan [23] | Manifesto |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adama Barrow | National People's Party (NPP) | Incumbent President (2017-present) | "Peace, Progress, and Unity" | [24] |
| Ousainou Darboe | United Democratic Party (UDP) | Former Vice President (2018-2019) | "Justice, Peace, and Progress" | [25] |
| Essa M. Faal | Independent | Chief Prosecutor of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (2018-present) | "One Gambia, One Nation, One People" | [26] |
| Mama Kandeh | Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) | MP in Pan-African Parliament | "One Gambia One people" | [27] |
| Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh | National Union Party (NUP) | Former Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority [28] | "Unity is strength" | [29] |
| Halifa Sallah | People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) | Special Advisor to the President on Governance (2017), National Assembly Minority Leader (2002-2007) | "Liberty, dignity, and prosperity" | [30] |
For the first time, opinion polls were conducted prior to the election. [31]
| Pollster | Collection Dates | Sample size | Adama Barrow | Ousainou Darboe | Mama Kandeh | Halifa Sallah | Essa M. Faal | Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh | Other/ Secret | Undecided/ abstention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CepRass [32] | 9–19 November 2021 | 1,185 | 41 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 3 | <1 | 14 | 9 |
| Candidates approved on 7 November 2021 | ||||||||||
| CepRass [31] | 27 July–10 August 2021 | 969 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 10 | 40 |
Campaigning in this election was more open than in 2016, with many posters and campaign slogans. Voters did not hesitate to openly show their support for candidates, which contrasted with the restrictive environment under the previous regime. [33] The economy was a concern for voters, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dominant tourism industry [34] as well as the falling exchange rate of the Gambian dalasi. [35]
For the first time, a debate was organised between presidential candidates. All six candidates were invited to participate on 20 November by the Committee for Political Debate, but only Halifa Sallah and Essa M. Faal attended. [36] [37]
Barrow's NPP announced a coalition with the party of former president Yahya Jammeh, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Reconstruction (APRC). [38] Jammeh subsequently disavowed the alliance, saying it was done without his knowledge. [39] This led to a split in the APRC between those who support the deal and are aligning with Barrow, and a "No Alliance Movement" loyal to Jammeh, who has remained strongly critical of Barrow. [40] Jammeh then formally endorsed Kandeh, addressing his campaign rallies over the phone. [41] The winner of the election would carry out the recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC); the commission submitted its report to Barrow on 25 November, but the report was not made public before the election. [42]
Gambia Participates, a nonpartisan NGO, offers a free mobile app called Marble for tracking live election results from the IEC. The app was first released for the 2018 local elections. [43] To promote voter engagement, staff members of the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) toured the country and held public forums. [44]
A total of 962,157 voters registered on the electoral lists, including 416,839 men and 545,318 women. [45] 1,554 polling stations throughout the country were open on 4 December from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; voters in line at 5:00 PM were allowed to cast their vote. [3]
President Barrow was declared the winner by the IEC on 5 December. [46]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adama Barrow | National People's Party | 457,519 | 53.23 | |
| Ousainou Darboe | United Democratic Party | 238,253 | 27.72 | |
| Mama Kandeh | Gambia Democratic Congress | 105,902 | 12.32 | |
| Halifa Sallah | PDOIS | 32,435 | 3.77 | |
| Essa M. Faal | Independent | 17,206 | 2.00 | |
| Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh | National Union Party | 8,252 | 0.96 | |
| Total | 859,567 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 859,567 | 100.00 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Total votes | 859,567 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 962,157 | 89.34 | ||
| Source: IEC | ||||
Observers from the African Union stated that the electoral processes met international standards. European Union observers lauded the degree of transparency in voting and counting; however, they considered the candidate approval process to be somewhat opaque. [47] Leading the Commonwealth observer group, Olusegun Obasanjo praised the marble voting system and the orderly conduct of the elections. [48] Ernest Bai Koroma, head of the ECOWAS observer group, asked parties "to accept the outcome of the election in good faith." [49]
President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari congratulated Barrow on re-election. [50]
Partial results were first released on 4 December showing Barrow in the lead. Darboe, Kandeh, and Faal subsequently issued a statement expressing doubts about the results due to delays at the polling stations. [51] However, Sallah conceded. [52] After Barrow was officially declared the victor the following day, Faal congratulated Barrow. [47] Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh also congratulated Barrow. [53]
UDP members organised a protest in Banjul, [47] leading Darboe to call for peace among Gambian citizens. [54] On 14 December, the UDP formally appealed the election results to the Supreme Court, alleging that Barrow's campaign had engaged in vote buying and allowed foreigners to vote. [55] The court dismissed the appeal on 28 December on procedural grounds, as the UDP had not served Barrow within five days of filing. [56] Barrow was sworn in for a second term on 20 January. [57]
Politics of The Gambia takes place within the framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of The Gambia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliaments.
Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is a Gambian politician and former military officer, who served as President of the Gambia from 1996 to 2017, as well as Chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council from 1994 to 1996.
The United Democratic Party is a political party in the Gambia, founded in 1996 by 3 political parties and choose the human rights lawyer, freedom fighter, ANM Ousainou Darboe to be the party leader and Secretary General. As a candidate in the presidential election of 18 October 2001, he came second with 32.6% of the popular vote; he took second place again in the 22 September 2006 presidential election with 26.7% of the vote. The 17 January 2002 parliamentary election was boycotted by the party. In the 25 January 2007 parliamentary election, the party won four out of 48 seats.
The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) is a political party in The Gambia. Founded by army officers who staged 1994 coup, it was the ruling party from 1996 to 2016 under President Yahya Jammeh.
Halifa Sallah is a retired Gambian politician and former National Assembly member for Serrekunda Constituency. He currently serves as the secretary-general of the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS). He served as a spokesman and advisor to President Adama Barrow from during the 2016 presidential election campaign until March 2017.
Ousainou Darboe is a Gambian politician and leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). He previously served as Vice-President of the Gambia and Minister of Women's Affairs from June 2018 to March 2019, under President Adama Barrow. He also served as President Barrow's Minister of Foreign Affairs from February 2017 to June 2018.
Hamat Ngai Kumba Bah is a Gambian politician who is the current Minister of Tourism and Culture in President Adama Barrow's cabinet. He is also the leader of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) and has been a presidential candidate in 1996, 2001 and 2011. He was the National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum from 1997 to 2005.
Mama Kandeh is a member of the Pan-African Parliament from the Gambia. He is the founding leader of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) political party, which he formed in the summer of 2016. He ran as a candidate in the Gambian presidential election of 2016 and received 17.1% of the votes.
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 29 September 1996. The first since the 1994 military coup led by Yahya Jammeh, they were also the first elections to be held under the new constitution, and the first presidential elections held separately from parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was exceptionally high, with 88% of the 446,541 registered voters voting.
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 24 November 2011. Incumbent President Yahya Jammeh, in office since seizing power in a 1994 coup, faced Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party and Hamat Bah of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development.
The 2014 Gambian coup d'état attempt broke out during the night of 30 December 2014, when gunfire erupted in the Gambian capital of Banjul.
Presidential elections were held in The Gambia on 1 December 2016. In a surprise result, opposition candidate Adama Barrow defeated long-term incumbent Yahya Jammeh. The election marked the first change of presidency in The Gambia since a military coup in 1994, and the first transfer of power by popular election since independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.
Adama Barrow is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of the Gambia since 2017.
Gambia Coalition 2016 was the governing coalition of The Gambia in the late 2010s, consisting of seven Gambian political parties, civil society groups and one independent candidate created to field and support a unity ticket for the opposition in the 2016 presidential election. The coalition selected real estate developer and deputy treasurer of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Adama Barrow as their candidate. Barrow officially left the UDP to allow him to run as an independent candidate, although his candidacy continued to be supported by the UDP through its membership in the coalition.
A constitutional crisis occurred in Gambia following presidential elections in December 2016, in which challenger Adama Barrow achieved an upset victory over longtime incumbent Yahya Jammeh. It eventually concluded after a military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led to Jammeh’s departure from the country.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2337 was a measure unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 19 January 2017. It expressed support for efforts by ECOWAS to peacefully resolve the 2016–2017 Gambian constitutional crisis, calling on President Yahya Jammeh to step down and allow a peaceful transition to the President-elect, Adama Barrow, as well as supporting the African Union and ECOWAS decisions in recognizing Adama Barrow as the new president. The measure was adopted by a vote of 15 supporting, none opposed, and none abstained.
Following his victory in the presidential election on 1 December 2016, the newly elected President Adama Barrow appointed a new cabinet to succeed the cabinet of Yahya Jammeh, his predecessor. Barrow was formally inaugurated on 19 January 2017 at the embassy of the Gambia in Dakar, Senegal, and was able to return the Gambia on 26 January. He made the bulk of appointments in February 2017, and conducted major reshuffles in June 2018, March 2019 and May 2022.
Three Years Jotna was a political advocacy group in the Gambia between 2019 and 2021 that staged protests advocating for the resignation of President Adama Barrow.
Tuti Faal, also known as Tuti Faal Jammeh is a former First Lady of the West African country of Gambia. As the first wife of President Yahya Jammeh, she was the First Lady from 1994 until her divorce in 1998.
The 2022 Gambian coup attempt was a military coup d'état attempt which took place in The Gambia on 20 December 2022. Reportedly, some soldiers attempted to overthrow the government of President Adama Barrow. Four soldiers were arrested on suspicion of involvement. The Gambian military initially denied that any such coup attempt took place. It also went after three other alleged conspirators. The coup leader was later named as LCpl Sanna Fadera. The attempt was condemned by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the main opposition party, the UDP.
