The countdown has begun in Banjul. The Gambia presidential election now has its official field, after the Independent Electoral Commission confirmed five candidates on Thursday for the vote on December 5. Two weeks of campaigning start next Monday.
A third-term bid
Leading the list is President Adama Barrow of the National People’s Party, who is seeking a third term even though many Gambians expected him to step aside. The 1997 constitution allows it. Hopes of a new constitution with term limits faded after lawmakers twice rejected draft versions. Barrow took power in 2016 by beating Yahya Jammeh, ending 22 years of rule marked by torture and killings. Jammeh has lived in exile in Equatorial Guinea since 2017, yet his supporters still weigh in on politics back home.
The challengers
Ousainou Darboe, a former vice president who leads the United Democratic Party, is running for the fifth time. He has finished second in every earlier race.
The candidate pulling the biggest crowds may be Talib Ahmed Bensouda of the Unite party. He was mayor of Kanifing until last week and quit after a government report accused him of financial impropriety. His party calls the report a political manoeuvre. His rallies have filled grounds even in regions seen as Barrow strongholds, such as Central River and Upper River.
The field is completed by Isatou Touray, a physician and the first woman ever nominated for the presidency, and Modou Lamin Sima of the Alliance of Progressive Citizens.
What voters will be weighing
Many young Gambians will judge this race on daily life. Long power cuts since June triggered chaotic night protests, with crowds blocking roads and demanding that Barrow go. In September he promised to boost electricity supply. Whether people feel that promise at home and in their workshops before December 5 may count for more than any manifesto.
Watch the paperwork too. The commission received 18 nomination requests and spent about a week and a half meeting each candidate. It is still unclear whether more names will be added.
For a small country, the stakes are large. West Africa will be watching how The Gambia handles a tense, closely followed vote.
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