Gambian President Adama Barrow Wins Re-election Amidst Protest from Opposition
The Gambian people have voted for the first time in twenty seven years without the looming presence and influence of former President Yahya Jammeh. Consequently, the electoral commission has declared incumbent President Adama barrow, winner of the election. Barrow took over power after long time ruler and dictator Yahya Jammeh was disgracefully forced out of the country in 2016. He will be ruling for a second term.
According to the electoral commission, the incumbent president won the polls by receiving about 53% of the votes. His nearest opponent Ousainou Darboe however, received about 27.7% of the votes
This peaceful election is a test of the stability of democracy in the small country of 2.5 million people.
“Democracy has taken its course…I’ll use all the resources at my disposal to make Gambia a better place for all” Barrow told a cheering crowd as the results were announced .
Many see Barrow’s first term in office as a welcomed break from Yahya Jammeh’s brutal rule. In his second term, much of the Gambian people look forward to much progress and improvements
However, members of the opposition have rejected the results. The president’s closest opponent, Ousainou Darboe has declared that he would go to court to challenge the election results . Mr Darboe and two other opposition candidates released a joint statement questioning the validity of the results . Subsequently, outside Darboe’s residence in Bajul, protests against the president’s win held. However, security authorities used tear gas to disperse protesters outside Darboe’s residence. Ousainou Darboe has however called for calm while speaking to his supporters and also appealed to them to avoid violence.
Gambia is one of Africa’s smallest countries and it’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and fishing. But the corona virus pandemic has heavily affected the country’s tourism sector.