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|How The Gambian Opposition Walked Itself Into A Crushing DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Defeat|       By Pa Louis Sambou    T he minute Jammeh whisked himself into exile, the repression was no more. With time, what was a stiffened democratic space gradually opened up, accelerated by a Gambian mastery of the use of online media in ways which few could have reasonably foreseen. Once ordinary people found their voice, it was very quickly put into effective use by a people firmly determined never to be shut up ever again. Although slow to find his voice within his cabinet, but the President also eventually caught up, and having discovered his executive powers, his ‘political Godfather’ soon found out about it when the nest became too small for both ‘son’ and ‘political Godfather’ — from which rupture, emerged the not so youthful Barrow ‘Youth’ Movement and eventually the National People’s Party (NPP) and which development it is not possible to discount from any credible commentary on the subject of

     Below reads their statement   O n December 4 th 2021, Gambians came out in large numbers to vote in the presidential elections. Twenty-four hours later no clear winner has been declared by the Independent Electoral Commission. The United Democratic Party and its partners, GFA and Hon. Marie Sock, GDC, and Hon. Essa Mbaye Faal have the following preliminary observations on the just concluded electoral process: 1)   1   Considering that The Gambia has an electorate of approximately 900,000 with on-the-spot counting system, we are concerned that there has been an inordinate delay in the announcement of the results. 1)    2  A number of issues have been raised by our agents and representatives of the above mentioned candidates at the polling stations/centres and at the IEC Headquarters. As a result, the representatives of the aforementioned candidates at the IEC Headquarters refused to endorse some of the results that were announced through the public media. We are investigating the

Gambians voted in “democratic transition” test for stability By Sheriff SaidyKhan Gambians’ across the country have turnout in masses to vote in the country's first post dictatorship Presidential election. Many voters described the election as the democratic transition test for stability in the country.  The six presidential candidates were: Adama Barrow, National People’s Party, the incumbent president; Essa Mbye Faal, an independent candidate; Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh, National Unity Party; Ousainou Darboe, United Democratic Party; Mama Kandeh, Gambia Democratic Congress and Halifa Sallah People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism. Sona Manjang, a voter, has said that she wants the continuity of peace in the country,  She said that everyone has a choice to vote for any candidate, but that should not cause alienation among people. Isatou Jallow, a registered voter said she was to vote without fear, adding that this is an unprecedented election for her. The votin

  |Unique Circumstances of a Maiden Post Dictatorship Presidential Election, the Runners and Its Likely Outcome|   By Pa Louis Sambou    A fter the fall of a ‘strong man’ in former President Jammeh who hamstrung far much more than a fair share of daily life of Gambians including those of public institutions, most Gambians were relieved and thought: ‘never again’. Well, we were wrong. After twenty-two years, public institutions became so accustomed to being kept ‘in line’ through diktat ‘from the top’ rather than through due process, post Jammeh, contrary to public expectation, some of these institutions and figureheads within them increasingly display a worrying lack of regard to the courts. Not even according the judiciary the courtesy of deference. In the build-up to, and over the course of the coming Presidential elections, this lamentable phenomenon has manifested itself in more ways than most would have liked vis-à-vis the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and its response to

      By AMADOU MANJANG  President  Adama Barrow, the presidential candidate for National People’s Party (NPP) has vowed to win the presidential election slated for December 4 th 2021. He advised his supporters to vote peacefully, adding that there is no need to incite violence in the country. He said politics should not divide Gambians ahead of the election. He made these remarks on Wednesday 1 st December 2021, at a rally held at Tallinding, Buffer Zone. “We will win peacefully,” he bragged. President Barrow stated that, he did not want “personal politics” he further described the NPP APRC alliance as a step towards national reconciliation.  T he Gambian leader praised his supporters for their show of solidarity, whilst urging them to come out and vote on election day.  He said the NPP led coalition, is stronger than any opposition party. But critics argued that the alliance has undermines the welfare of the victims of the APRC regime.     The final submitted report of the Truth Re

             Article 19 calls government, others to provide ATI ahead of elections            By Sheriff Saidykhan ARTICLE 19 in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights (Pretoria) and The Gambia Press Union (GPU) has on Tuesday 30th November 2021 called on the government and politicians to provide proactive disclosure of Access to Information (ATI) ahead of the Presidential election.  The daylong zoom event was anchored on “Enhancing Access to Information during elections in The Gambia” The event held at the Human Rights office in Brusubi, brought together Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s), human rights actors and media practitioners to mitigate strategies for the effective implementation of Access to Information Act.   The objective of the event was to raise awareness on the right of access to information in The Gambia. Bintou Jaiteh, from Article 19 spoke of the importance of Access to Information, in the drive towards engaging citizens’ participation in decision making proc

Lawyer Darboe reminds Kombo North of UDP struggles, calls for change  By Sheriff Saidykhan Ousainou ANM Darboe, the Presidential candidate for the United Democratic Party (UDP) has reminded Gambians of the struggles fought by the party during the repressive rule of former president Yahya Jammeh. Lawyer Darboe described the struggles of the late martyrs of the party saying they fought to liberate the country from the brutal rule of former president Yahya Jammeh.   He made these remarks on Saturday 27 November 2021 at the “ALL KOMBO RALLY” held at Brikama, West Coast Region.   “Many of our members were captured here in Brikama. They tortured them and violated their right for no crime, only because they are supporting UDP” he decried. The veteran human rights lawyer jogged the minds of thousands of supporters during the bitter struggles of the party. He called on supporters of the party to come out in full swing and vote for UDP.