After more than two decades of a painful political fight, the United Democractic Party of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has swept the first ever legislative elections held by the coalition government. The party that fielded candidates in 44 constituencies has won 31 seats.
The win has proven that the UDP is the largest party in the country. The party’s biggest gain has been recorded in the Kanifing Municipality where it won all the contested seats. Among April 6 contest winners were Fatoumata Jawara and Madi Ceesay of Tallinding and Serekunda West constituencies, respectively. The election of these two torture victims of the Jammeh regime is crucial in a country that is struggling to heal the many wounds.
The UDP also recorded clear victories in the West Coast, Lower River, North Bank and Central River Regions. Except Foni where the ousted Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party won all the five seats, the UDP emerge victorious in almost all the areas it contested. It has won in Sandu, Kantora and Tumana as well. The UDP lost the whole of the capital Banjul to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS).
In honour of the party leader’s promise, the UDP decided not to field candidates against PDOIS leaders, Halifa Sallah and Sedia Jatta who won their seats in Serekunda and Wuli West.
In the end, the APRC got 5, NRP 5, GDC 5, PDOIS 4, and PPP won 2 seats. One independent candidate, the sitting member for Basse Muhammed Magassy, also made it to the parliament.
President Adama Barrow is constitutionally mandated to nominate 5 members to Parliament. Among them will be the Speaker of Parliament.
Ends
It’s now clear to every one that the U D P is the largest party in the Gambia. let’s stop talking nonsense especially fatou Camara and pa ndery mbaye 6 and 9 sheep in wolves clothing.
Size is no doubt important, but it’s quality we should be looking for. APRC had the size, but we saw what was done with it.
Hopefully, the UDP’s majority will put what’s good for Gambia’s democracy FIRST, and not what strengthens the party, like the APRC did.
I’m sure the world is now watching. Let the work begin in earnest. Let’s see whether the will to dismantle the instruments of the defeated dictatorship is the same for everyone.
Time, as always, will be the best judge to deliver the verdict of history.
Bax , stop complaining you are always with the losers . You live in denial , you and fellow confused disciples plus your party leadership will end their political career in denial. Indigenous citizens have finally , finally taken our country back and put in the right direction.
In denial of what?
The PPP was the largest party in the Gambia. The APRC was the largest party in the Gambia. The UDP is now the largest party in the Gambia.
What do they all have in common?
The party that controls the executive presidency and the power of incumbency tends to command the largest political following.
Take out the presidency and the power of incumbency and these parties suffer the same fate.
Just imagine the APRC, a political party that has dominated the political scene for 22 years winning almost all the seats of the National Assembly ending up with 5 seats in the National Assembly.
As part of the coalition and now forming a majority in the National Assembly, the UDP will help President Barrow to fulfill the legislative and reform agenda of the coalition. A win-win for everyone.
Congrats to UDP. The challenge now is what happens in the next three years.
APRC was an exception. It was always a military dictatorship. It came to power illegally. It has continually frauded the ensuing elections until 1st of December 2016. PPP was not in incumbency when they won their first parliamentary election at pre-independence. UDP’s clear win in the recent election reflects the party’s electoral strength in the country. It has nothing to do with incumbency advantage. For example if it were incumbency bonus, UDP must have won in Jimara. The president’s own constituency.
So the above narrative is erroneous. It is apparently the same conclusion Mama Kandeh is hiding behind to make a case for his party’s dismal performance.
Congrats to all elected NAMs. Now that the polls are behind us, let’s focus on the job.
Halifa Sallah must not be selected for speakership. Speaker must be selected from UDP majority.
# say no to Mr Sallah speakership.
Please don’t waste your time with a hashtag. Familiarise yourself with the constitution. The Speaker is elected from amongst the NOMINATED Members only. Halifa is an ELECTED Member.
Max, Halifa or none of the NAMs elected can become the speaker because the constitution clearly states that the speaker must be selected from nominated NAMs.
Buba sanyang, thanks for the clarification on that . Halifa Sallah would be an ordinary member. I hope president Barrow appoint Mrs secka as the speaker of the National Assembly. She is the deputy leader of UDP and very patriotic indigenous citizen. I like to see the female speaker in the house .
Mrs. Secka will be a perfect fit for the function. I fully support her and I hope she would be selected.
I very much rate Madi Jorbateh’s advice pertaining to the selection of a speaker and deputy speaker of parliament. The issue can’t be better advised than he did.
It is amazing to come to know that some of those who claimed or portray to be enlightened participants in the country’s political debates are proving now to be the most contemptuous and obscured in state of mind.
I might have argued that the Pdois “disciples” are “partisan” two years ago or so but, who knows..I have no points at all to be in for such a motion now.
Thanks @Bax for wishing all NAMs well and inspiring them. That brings about hope for a better future.
I’ve always convinced myself that, OJ, Halifa, Ousainou, Hamat, Isatou, Hendry, Mai etc etc., know better how to put shoulders together to the wheel for a better Gambia.
Let God guide their efforts and the citizens with light.
Great to have Fatoumatta Jawara in NA. She represent the nitty-gritty that was essential in getting rid of Jammeh for good. A big congratulations to her. And a big thank you to Folks on the ground in Talinding for the confidence bestowed on Honourable Fatoumatta Jawara.
Agree Kinteh.
Now is the time that the UDP to focus on intended campaign to absorb the rest of APRC militants by quickly reducing unemployment, built more schools, roads, hospitals. This will silence all those useless opposition’s who are trying to undermine the development of this country. APRC should be glad that the current government allow it to reemerge, because it’s a military party it should been banned.
” This will silence all those useless opposition who are trying to undermine the development of this country.”
This could easily pass as “plagiarized” content from Yaya Jammeh’s text book of intolerance to opposition. New Gambia needs a positive view of the opposition, not the same old bile and venom.