Gambians awaited the final results of the small West African nation’s presidential election on Sunday, as the early tallies showed incumbent Adama Barrow well ahead in most of the voting districts.
Barrow and his National People’s Party have led the nation since January 2017, when longtime dictator Yahya Jammeh was finally forced from office. Jammeh had held power since 1994 before losing to Barrow in an upset election in 2016. He refused to accept Barrow’s victory for months before finally leaving the country and seeking refuge in Equatorial Guinea.
Subsequent investigations found Jammeh and his associates had left Barrow and a struggling The Gambia with massive debts, few resources and the coffers empty. A Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was formed to investigate the many human rights violations that occurred during Jammeh’s 22-year rule.
Barrow’s leadership and the progress in The Gambia has at times been viewed as uneven, but his campaign touted the success of ongoing development projects and the country’s renewed commitment to democracy.
Saturday’s election, the first since Jammeh’s departure, was “very peaceful and orderly,” according to a statement from the Gambian Independent Electoral Commission.
Barrow faces five other candidates, including opposition leader Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party. Darboe served as a former vice president under Barrow.
Official Gambian broadcaster GRTS reported Sunday that Darboe held a slim lead in the Sami and Bakau voting districts, but most other constituencies, including in Banjul, were voting for Barrow by a significant margin.
Image: Gambia Electoral Commission file