Gambian presidential election, 2011

Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 24 November 2011. Incumbent President Yahya Jammeh, in office since seizing power in a 1994 coup, faced Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party and Hamat Bah of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development.

The elections were won by Jammeh, who received 72% of the vote on an 83% turnout.

Electoral system

Voting took place using marbles dropped into coloured containers each containing a gong.

Conduct

The elections were monitored by the African Union who praised the process, European Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Commonwealth. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) did not send any monitors because of "an unacceptable level of control of the electronic media by the party in power... and an opposition and electorate cowed by repression and intimidation".

Before the elections Jammeh had claimed "I will never compromise peace and stability at the altar of so-called democracy", that "there is no way I can lose unless you tell me that all Gambian people are mad" and in response to press criticism said "The journalists are less than 1% of the population and if anybody expects me to allow less than 1% of the population to destroy 99% of the population, you are in the wrong place."

On the election day Bah claimed that he had not heard of any intimidation of his supporters although Darboe claimed the vote was fraudulent, rejected the result and complained of intimidation from the presence of military vehicles on the streets. The Independent Electoral Commission also said there was no intimidation and that "it is impossible to rig elections in Gambia".

There was also criticism of the election organisation as many voters went to the wrong polling station.

Results

References

Presidential elections in the Gambia
Gambia
Presidential election
November 2011 events in Africa

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