The Gambia - National Assembly election 2022
The Gambia National Assembly election is expected to be held 09 April 2022. The Gambia’s constitution enumerates a full range of provisions and assurances for a multiparty democratic republic. In a historic election on December 1, 2016, Gambians elected Adama Barrow as president, ending over two decades of autocratic rule under former military leader Yahya Jammeh. Barrow’s election united opposition parties and ushered in high voter expectations for democratic governance. In the 2017 parliamentary elections, the United Democratic Party won 31 of the 53 seats contested. International and domestic observers considered these elections to be free and fair.
On 19 January 2022 President Barrow pledged to work to jumpstart the economy as he was sworn in for a second five-year term in office near the capital, Banjul. The United Democratic Party of leading opposition candidate Ousainou Darboe appealed the election results to the Supreme Court, alleging irregularities and corruption in Barrow’s campaign. Moving forward, the Barrow Administration is committed to constitutional reform. Although The Gambia’s current constitution contains progressive provisions, such as those that protect checks and balances and personal liberties, former President Jammeh frequently contravened, amended and undermined the constitution to maintain his grip on power and close the political space in which civil society could operate in The Gambia.
Significant human rights issues included: harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; trafficking in persons; and existence of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although the law was rarely enforced. Families of individuals detained during the Jammeh regime continued to demand information on their missing relatives and that those responsible for killings, disappearances, and other serious crimes be held accountable. The Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparation Commission (TRRC) was established in 2017 to address human rights abuses during the 22-year rule (1994-2016) of former president Jammeh.
Independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views. Nevertheless, on 26 January 2020, police closed local radio stations King and Home Digital FM. Police arrested and charged the stations’ owners and managers with broadcasting incendiary messages and inciting violence, and police held them for more than 48 hours before their release on bail. Ministry of Justice prosecutors found no factual basis on which to support the charges and dismissed them. The stations’ broadcasting licenses were suspended for one month.
The Gambia is gearing up for a parliamentary election on 9th April,2022 that will see citizens vote to elect 53 legislators who will serve a five-year term. The country’s election management body, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will conduct the election following the 1997 constitution. According to the country’s 1997 constitution, a person is qualified for election to the National Assembly if he or she is a citizen of The Gambia, has attained the age of twenty-one years, and is resident in a constituency for a year before nomination day. The person as well should be able to speak English with a degree of proficiency sufficient to enable him or her to take part in the proceedings of the National Assembly. Another requirement stated in the constitution is for a candidate to declare his or her assets to the Independent Electoral Commission. The Gambia National Assembly consists of 58 members, 53 members are directly elected by their various constituencies. Five other members would be nominated by the President according to the 1997 constitution. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker may only be chosen from among the presidential appointees to the National Assembly, not the elected members.
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