AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in The Gambia
 
Political Profile
Political System: Emerging Democracy
President: Yahya Jammeh (APRC) [since 22 July 1994; seized power in 1994 military coup, elected 1996, re-elected 2001 and 2006] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: First Past The Post.
National Assembly [unicameral]: (53 Seats) 48 members are elected by direct popular vote in single-member constituencies using the first-past-the-post (simple majority) system, 5 are appointed by the President; members serve 5-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1965-1994 Democracy
1994-1996 Military Regime
1996-2001 Restricted Democratic Practice
2001-        Emerging Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 5, Civil Liberties - 4, Status: Partly Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: 2011
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: 2012
Political Parties: APRC - Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (authoritarian), DCA - Democratic Congress Alliance, GPDP - Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress, GPP - Gambia People’s Party, NCP - National Convention Party, NDAM - National Democratic Action Movement, NRP - National Reconciliation Party (reformist), PDOIS - People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (far-left, socialist), PDP - People’s Democratic Party, PPP - People’s Progressive Party, UDP - United Democratic Party (reformist), UP - United Party.
Coalitions: United Party-Democratic Congress Alliance (UP-DCA) [Contested the 1966 House of Representatives Election]; United Democratic Party-People’s Progressive Party-Gambia People’s Party (UDP-PPP-GPP) [Contested the 2001 Presidential Election]; Alliance for Regime Change (ARC) [Contested the 2006 Presidential Election] Member parties include the United Democratic Party (UDP), National Reconciliation Party (NRP), and the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP); National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) [Contested the 2006 Presidential and 2007 National Assembly Elections] Member parties include the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) and the National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM).
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential: 1982, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2006
Legislative: 1962, 1966, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007
Referenda, Plebiscites: 1965, 1970, 1996
Local: 2002
 
 
May 1962 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 75%)

Party

Number of Seats (32)*

People's Progressive Party (PPP)

18

United Party (UP)

13

Democratic Congress Alliance (DCA)

01

*32 members were directly elected, an additional 8 were appointed by the governor and protectorate chiefs.
 
24 November 1965 Plebiscite*
Main Points: Declaration of the Republic

Registered Voters

154,626

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

  93,484

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

61,563

65.85%

"No" Votes

31,921

34.15%

*The proposal was rejected because it fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
 
26 May 1966 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party/[Coalition]

% of Vote

Number of Seats (32)

People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

65.32%

24

United Party-Democratic Congress Alliance [UP-DCA]

33.37%

08

Independents

1.31%

-

 
24 April 1970 Plebiscite
Main Points: Declaration of the Republic

Registered Voters

135,000 (approx.)

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

120,606

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

84,968

70.45%

"No" Votes

35,638

29.55%

 
28-29 March 1972 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

136,521

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

103,851

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (32)*

People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

65,388

62.96%

28

United Party (UP)

17,161

16.52%

03

Independents

21,302

20.51%

01

*32 members were directly elected; an additional 3 were appointed by the President. There were also 4 Chiefs’ representatives and the Attorney general who was an ex-officio member.
 
04-05 April 1977 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Seats (34)*

People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

27

National Convention Party (NCP)

05

United Party (UP)

02

*34 members were directly elected; the number of Chiefs’ representatives and additional members appointed by the President is not available. The Attorney general served as an ex-officio member.
 
04-05 May 1982 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

189,156

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Dawda K. Jawara (PPP)

137,020

72.44%

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba (NCP)

52,136

27.56%

 
04-05 May 1982 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

166,102

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (35)*

People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

102,545

61.74%

27

National Convention Party (NCP)

32,634

19.65%

03

United Party (UP)

4,782

2.88%

-

Independents

26,141

15.74%

05

*35 members were directly elected; an additional 8 were appointed by the President. There were also 5 Chiefs’ representatives and the Attorney general who was an ex-officio member.
 
11 March 1987 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

 210,158

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Dawda K. Jawara (PPP)

123,385

58.71%

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba (NCP)

57,345

27.29%

Assan Musa Camara (GPP)

29,428

14.00%

 
11 March 1987 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 80%)

Party

Number of Seats (36)*

People's Progressive Party (PPP)

31

National Convention Party (NCP)

05

Gambia People's Party (GPP)

-

People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)

-

*36 members were directly elected; an additional 8 were appointed by the President. There were also 5 Chiefs’ representatives and the Attorney general who was an ex-officio member.
 
29 April 1992 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

 Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Candidate (Party)

% of Votes

Dawda K. Jawara (PPP)

58.5%

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba (NCP)

22.2%

Assan Musa Camara (GPP)

8.0%

Lamin Bojang (PDP)

-

 
29 April 1992 House of Representatives Election

Registered Voters

 400,000 (approx.)

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

223,200 (approx. 55.8%)

Party

Number of Seats (36)*

People's Progressive Party (PPP)

25

National Convention Party (NCP)

06

Gambia People's Party (GPP)

02

Independents

03

*36 members were directly elected; an additional 8 were appointed by the President. There were also 5 Chiefs’ representatives and the Attorney general who was an ex-officio member.
 
08 August 1996 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Parliamentary Republic, Division of Powers, Lowering age of voter eligibility from 21 to 18

Registered Voters

447,062

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (85.9%)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

383,937

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

270,193

70.37%

"No" Votes

113,744

29.63%

 
26 September 1996 Presidential Election [Results by Administrative Area]

Registered Voters

446,541

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

394,537 (88.4%)

Invalid Votes

         43 [See Note Below]

Total Valid Votes

394,494

Candidate (Party)

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Yahya Jammeh (APRC)

220,011

55.77%

Ousainou Darboe (UDP)

141,387

35.84%

Hamat Bah (NRP)

21,759

5.52%

Sidia Jatta (PDOIS)

11,337

2.87%

 
02 January 1997 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

420,507

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

307,856 (73.2%)

Invalid Votes

           0 [See Note Below]

Total Valid Votes

307,856

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (45)*

Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)

160,470

52.13%

33

United Democratic Party (UDP)

104,568

33.97%

07

National Reconciliation Party (NRP)

6,639

2.16%

02

People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)

24,272

7.88%

01

Independents

11,907

3.86%

02

*45 members were directly elected; an additional 4 members were appointed by the President.
 
18 October 2001 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

509,301

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 90%)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

458,533

Candidate (Party) [Coalition]

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Yahya Jammeh (APRC)

242,302

52.84%

Ousainou Darboe (UDP) [UDP-PPP-GPP]

149,448

32.59%

Hamat Bah (NRP)

35,671

7.78%

Sheriff Mustapha Dibba (NCP)

17,271

3.77%

Sidia Jatta (PDOIS)

13,841

3.02%

 
17 January 2002 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

167,817**

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

  94,621** (56.4%)

Invalid Votes

         35** [See Note Below]

Total Valid Votes

  94,586**

Party

Number of Seats (48)***

Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)

45

People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)

02

National Reconciliation Party (NRP)

01

*Boycotted by the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) and several smaller parties.
**Voter figures exclude the 33 constituencies where the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) ran unopposed. 
***48 members were directly elected, an additional 5 members were appointed by the President.
 
22 September 2006 Presidential Election [Results by Administrative Area]

Registered Voters

 670,336

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (approx. 59%)

Invalid Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

 392,685

Candidate (Party) [Coalition]

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Yahya Jammeh (APRC)

264,404

67.33%

Ousainou Darboe (UDP) [ARC]

104,808

26.69%

Halifa Sallah (PDOIS) [NADD]

23,473

5.98%

 
25 January 2007 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

628,160

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

261,974 (41.7%)

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Seats (48)*

Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)

42

United Democratic Party (UDP)

04

National Alliance for Democracy and Development [NADD]

01

Independents

01

*48 members were directly elected, an additional 5 members were appointed by the President.
 
Note: The reason for low numbers of invalid votes during elections in the Second Republic (1996-Present) are due to the country’s unusual voting method that uses marbles called ballot tokens, which are inserted by the voter into a hole in a spout attached to the ballot drum of their choice. Very few, if any, tokens are rejected. This method was also used during elections held in the First Republic (1965-1994).