The Gambia - Politics

After re-election on five occasions (the country retaining multiparty democracy under his 29-year leadership), President Dawda Jawara was deposed in a bloodless coup by junior army officers in July 1994. Captain Yahya Jammeh then set up the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, which pledged a return to democratic civilian government.

An 11-member constitutional commission, chaired by a Ghanaian judge and including British, American and Malawian lawyers, prepared a draft new constitution in 1995. A national referendum on the draft constitution was held in August 1996, and the ban on political activity lifted in the same month (although ex-President Jawara and the leaders of the three main opposition parties were barred). The presidential election was held in September, and won by Jammeh, with 55% of the votes. Three days after this election, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) raised serious doubts about the credibility of the poll.

In January 1997, parliamentary elections were contested by Jammeh’s party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), the United Democratic Party (UDP) led by Ousainou Darboe, the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) and five independents. The UDP agreed to take part on condition political detainees were released and the army and security forces did not interfere in the electoral process. The APRC was the only party able to contest every seat; it was popular with traditional leaders and youth, and won with a more than two-thirds majority – gaining 33 seats. The UDP won seven, the NRP two and the PDOIS one. CMAG concluded that these were conducted in a freer atmosphere than the presidential election in September 1996.

The National Assembly was inaugurated in January 1997, and adopted the new constitution. Political prisoners, including ministers of the Jawara government and UDP supporters arrested before the elections, were released in February and charges dropped. In April 1997, the restoration of a civilian government was completed when the four remaining regional military governors were replaced by civilians.

In the presidential election in October 2001, attended by Commonwealth observers, Jammeh decisively won a second term with 53% of the votes, Darboe of the UDP came second with 33% and Hammat Bah of the NRP third with 8%.

This was followed in January 2002 by parliamentary elections when Jammeh’s APRC gained virtually all seats in the Assembly. The elections were boycotted by the UDP – claiming that the electoral roll had been manipulated – and the APRC was unopposed in 33 of the 48 seats. Because of the UDP boycott, the Commonwealth decided not to observe the elections.

Jammeh was returned for a third term with 67% of the votes in the presidential election of September 2006, which was again attended by Commonwealth observers. Darboe (UDP) received 27% of the votes and Halifa Sallah (National Alliance for Democracy and Development) 6%.

In the parliamentary elections that followed in January 2007 the APRC won 42 seats and the UDP four, and the turnout was 42%.