2021 Gambian presidential election
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| Constitution |
 The Gambia portal |
Presidential elections will be held in the Gambia on 4 December 2021.[1] There are six qualifying candidates including incumbent Adama Barrow who are contesting the election.
Background[edit]
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 that saw Barrow eventually taking office and Jammeh flee 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. After conflicts with the UDP while in office, Barrow broke away to found the National People Party (NPP) in 2019.[2]
Electoral system[edit]
The President of the Gambia is elected in a single round by first-past-the-post voting for a five-year term.[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 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]
Candidates[edit]
Six candidates were approved to run by the Independent Electoral Commission:[5][6]
| Name | Party | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Adama Barrow | National People's Party (NPP) | Incumbent President (2017-present) |
| Ousainou Darboe | United Democratic Party (UDP) | Former Vice President (2018-2019) |
| Essa M. Faal | Independent | Chief Prosecutor of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (2018-present) |
| Mama Kandeh | Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) | MP in Pan-African Parliament |
| Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh | National Union Party (NUP) | Former Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority[7] |
| 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) |
Campaign[edit]
Barrow's NPP announced a coalition with the party of former president Yahya Jammeh, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Reconstruction (APRC).[8] Jammeh subsequently disavowed the alliance, saying it was done without his knowledge.[9] 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.[10]
Results[edit]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adama Barrow | National People's Party | |||
| Ousainou Darboe | United Democratic Party | |||
| Essa M. Faal | Independent | |||
| Mama Kandeh | Gambia Democratic Congress | |||
| Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh | National Union Party | |||
| Halifa Sallah | PDOIS | |||
| Total | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 962,157 | – | ||
References[edit]
- ^ Saine, Pap; Jahateh, Lamin (23 September 2020). "Gambia Opposition Laments Failure of Bid to Curb Term Limits". Banjul: U.S. News & World Report. Reuters. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "Gambia president launches own party after rift with ruling coalition". Africa News. 3 January 2020.
- ^ "IFES ElectionGuide: Nov. 24, 2011 Republic of The Gambia Election for President". International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "Gambia election: Voters use marbles to choose president". BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^ "Six to stand for president in Gambia's first election after Jammeh". Reuters. 7 November 2021.
- ^ "2021 Presidential Election Nominated Candidates". Independent Electoral Commission. 7 November 2021.
- ^ "NUP Has No Problem With NPP/APRC Alliance - Party Leader". Africa News. 14 September 2021.
- ^ Joof, Modou (5 October 2021). "Gambian President and Ex-Dictator Form Coalition Ahead of Polls". Bloomberg.
- ^ "Gambia's president declares his bid for December election". Africa News. 5 November 2021.
- ^ "Gambia: Police Detain Top Official of Jammeh's Backed 'No Alliance Movement', Others". AllAfrica. 26 October 2021.
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