In The Gambia, more than 960 voters are expected this Saturday in the polling stations, after a respectful presidential campaign. Has the Gambia become, with Adama Barrow, a real democracy?
This is the very first presidential election of the post-Jammeh era in The Gambia. In the small, landlocked West African country, more than 70% of citizens of voting age have registered on the electoral rolls. After a great debate on the voting system, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) finally decided to keep the system of balls rather than ballots. A practice that has always captivated international observers.
The presidential campaign, which opposed six candidates, was conducted in calm and respect. And, with the announcement of the results which will take place at the end of the day thanks to an effective decentralized count and a gradual announcement of the results according to the constituencies, the risk of dispute will be very minimal.
On the candidate side, despite the efforts of the president of the Gambian Democratic Congress (GDC), Mamma Kandeh, the two main contenders for the supreme post remain the outgoing president Adama Barrow and his former ally and former vice-president, Ousainou Darboe.
After 22 years of Yahya Jammeh's bloodthirsty reign, this is an important day for Gambians, most of whom only had figurative elections, until Adama Barrow's victory in 2016.
A successful mandate for Adama Barrow
For the past five years, Barrow has focused on the governance of the country. Despite a postponed investiture, due to the stubbornness of the ex-dictator, and an assassination attempt against Barrow, the latter succeeded in securing international support and taking his place in 2017. , as the first democratically elected president in The Gambia.
In 2019, the presidential ambitions of Vice-President Ousainou Darboe caused some turmoil on the political level. The 73-year-old lawyer, leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), thus caused the implosion of the party coalition that brought down Yahya Jammeh in 2016.
The Gambian president has since made his career in the company of his own supporters. In 2019, he created the National People's Party (NPP). By observing the meetings of the presidential campaign which ended this Thursday, December 2, Adama Barrow succeeded in building an effective political machine. Contrary to what his opponents claim, the "president by chance" is much more popular than expected. According to the BBC, the popularity of the incumbent president is mainly due to his record. Economy, diplomacy, education and infrastructure… The young president - 56 years old - has succeeded in establishing himself on the political scene.
Darboe's setbacks
However, it is above all the arguments of the opposition that are struggling to convince. During the presidential campaign, Darboe's UDP published fake photos of campaign meetings, the original version of which was subsequently leaked. But it is above all the publication of a poll, also rigged, affirming that Darboe is supported by a majority of voters, which made drop the participation in the following campaign meetings of the UDP. A context that benefited Adama Barrow's NPP, which showed a strong capacity for mobilization in most of the events of the presidential campaign.
Even so, Adama Barrow continued to face criticism for his government's efforts to bring justice to the victims of Yahya Jammeh. Coup de theater: last November 25, the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) issued its final report. Adama Barrow pledged that "justice will be done" in light of the events described in the TRRC report. What, also, to demystify the critics who argued that the president intended to pardon Yahya Jammeh, an opposition argument born of poor communication from Barrow's allies.
#Gambia: Close @BarrowPresident NPP Party staged at Youth Rally in the capital, Banjul. pic.twitter.com/kXDO67igKo
- Alhagie Jobe ® (@ freejobe39) August 27
An election that will take place in peace
Be that as it may, the electoral campaign took place in peace, the electoral silence was respected. The Gambia and the Gambians show, thus, their will to repudiate completely the two decades of tyranny of Jammeh. The six candidates called for massive voters to participate in the election.
The ballot will take place, therefore, today, between 8 am and 17 pm, in the 1554 polling stations in The Gambia and in the constituencies abroad. And no later than 24 hours later, the IEC will deliver the official results, although the commission will also publish the results at the closure of all polling stations in each constituency. A simple majority will suffice, therefore, for a candidate to win the presidency of the country.
International observers, including a mission from ECOWAS, will also be present. Everything bodes well for the ballot. And it would be opportune to say, if this Gambian election is successful, that The Gambia has become a true democracy.
The Gambia, CepRass / NED poll:
presidential election
Barrow (NPP, center-right): 53% (+5)
Darboe (UDP, center-left): 29% (+7)
Kandeh (GDC, center): 8% (+1)
Room (PDOIS, left): 6% (-1)
...(+/- vs. 27 July-10 August '21)
Fieldwork: 9-19 November '21
Sample size: 1,254 pic.twitter.com/uA2VpGfLMD- Africa Elects (@AfricaElect) November 30, 2021