The Gambia’s democratic transition is facing a litmus test
Al Jazeera
The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections will be the most consequential in The Gambia’s history.
Almost five years ago, in December 2016, The Gambia brought authoritarian President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year reign to an end through a democratic election. Since then, despite facing numerous obstacles and challenges, the West African country has managed to strengthen its democracy and widen its political space significantly. However, The Gambia’s democratic transition will face its toughest test to date on December 4, when the country holds its first presidential and parliamentary elections since the departure of Jammeh.
When current President Adama Barrow came to power, he had promised that he would call for new elections after three years. However, he rescinded that promise in 2019, and announced that he intends to serve a full five-year term as prescribed in the constitution. This led to minor protests, but did not stop Barrow from taking the necessary steps to consolidate his power.
In December 2019, Barrow established the National People’s Party (NPP) as a vehicle to seek a second term in the upcoming election. Since then, the new party has managed to garner significant popular support and increased Barrow’s chances of a second term.
