Parliamentary elections in Gambia 1997

Parliamentary elections in Gambia 1997

votes cast (in%)

 %

60

50

40

30th

20th

10

0

52.1

34.0

2.2

7.9

3.9

APRC

UDP

NRP

PDOIS

Independent

The 1997 parliamentary elections in Gambia took place on January 2, 1997 in the West African presidential republic of the Gambia . These elections for the Gambian National Assembly were the first elections for the Second Republic of the Gambia.

The ruling party Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), headed by President Yahya Jammeh , won a clear majority of the seats in parliament.

Electoral process and districts

→ Main article : The Gambian political system

At that time 45 members were elected for the Gambian National Assembly, which meets in the National Assembly in the capital Banjul . Four more seats in the National Assembly were appointed by the President, so that the National Assembly had 49 members of the unicameral system for the 1997-2002 legislative period.

The elected members were determined in the 45 constituencies of the country in a direct election with a majority system (simple majority). For the division of constituencies was Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is responsible, this is based on the districts in the Subdivisions of the Gambia . Areas with high population density are adjusted in their division, so the capital Banjul is divided into three constituencies and the municipality Kanifing , with the largest city in the country Serekunda , was divided into three constituencies.

There was no compulsory voting .

The vote itself took place via glass marbles, which were thrown into a drum that was closed except for the slot as a ballot box . These ballot boxes were designed in different colors depending on the candidate. Experience has shown that through this procedure the proportion of invalid votes was very low.

The elections to the National Assembly had to take place no later than three months after the election of the president.

Starting position

According to one estimate, Gambia had a population of 1,235,767 in 1997.

After the 1994 military coup by Yahya Jammeh, parliament was dissolved and the 1970 constitution was repealed. At the same time, a ban on political gatherings was issued. A new constitution of the Gambia was drawn up by 1996 , which came into force after a constitutional referendum in August 1996 .

This was followed by presidential elections in September 1996 . Here Yahya Jammeh (APRC) prevailed with 55.8 percent against his rival candidates Ousainou Darboe (UDP), Hamat Bah (NRP) and Sidia Jatta (PDOIS).

The last parliamentary elections before the coup were held in 1992.

Election preparation

The following parties nominated candidates

Political party		number
	Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)	45
	United Democratic Party (UDP)	34
	National Reconciliation Party (NRP)	5
	People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS)	17th
	Independent candidates	6th
total		107

107 candidates ran in the 45 constituencies and wanted to get a majority of voters. The APRC ran 45 candidates in all constituencies. She was challenged by 34 UDP candidates, the NRP sent five candidates and the PDOIS 17 candidates. In addition, there were six candidates who did not belong to any party. In five constituencies, the APRC candidates had no opponent, they won the constituency without resistance.

The 'official' election campaign lasted from December 10th to December 31st, 1996 and is described as calm.

election day

Election day took place on a Thursday.

Election result

Distribution of seats

4th 33 7th 2 1 2 4th 33 7th 2 1 2  A total of 49 seats Otherwise: 4 APRC : 33 UDP : 7 NRP : 2 PDOIS : 1 Independent: 2 With 'Otherwise. Seats mean the seats that have been appointed by the President.

The election result was published in the media; the data in the following tables comes from the IEC.

Of the 444,061 registered voters previously, 307,856 valid votes were cast, making the turnout 69.32 percent. In five constituencies, the APRC candidates had no opponent so that they could win the constituency for themselves without resistance. If those constituencies are excluded, in which no opposing candidate was put up, then there were 420,507 registered voters and the turnout was 3.2 percent.

After winning the presidential election, Jammeh was also able to win the parliamentary elections for his APRC party. With 33 electoral districts won, the APRC moved into parliament with 33 seats, another four members were appointed by presidents, so that 42 of the 49 seats belonged to its wing. The UDP won seven seats, the NRP two seats and the PDOIS won an electoral district. The independent candidates Lamin Wollom S. Jallow and Hassan Jallow were able to assert themselves against their opponents.

The result of the 1997 election can hardly be compared with the parliamentary elections in 1992 ; the two large parties APRC (52.1%) and UDP (34.0%) were only founded for this election. Participation in this election was banned from the then ruling party and some other parties (the 1992 voting shares in brackets). Including the People's Progressive Party (PPP) (54.2%), the party of former President Dawda Jawara , the Gambian People's Party (GPP) (6.9%) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP) (4.6%) . Only the NCP (24.3%) and PDOIS (4.6%) were approved in 1997.

Election result by party

Explanation:

• Administrative unit ( English Administrative Area (AA) ) =

  Banjul = City of Banjul , Kanifing = Kanifing Municipal , Brikama = Western Division , Mansa Konko = Lower River Division , Kerewan = North Bank Division , Janjanbureh = Central River Division , Basse = Upper River Division

Seats in parliament
Political party		Administrative unit														total
		Banjul		Kanifing		Brikama		Mansa Konko		Kerevan		Janjanbureh		Bass
	APRC	3		2		9		1		6th		8th		4th		33	73.3%
	UDP	-		1		-		4th		1		1		-		7th	15.6%
	NRP	-		-		-		1		-		1		-		2	4.4%
	PDOIS	-		-		-		-		-		-		1		1	2.2%
	Independent	-		-		-		-		-		1		1		2	4.4%
total		3		3		9		6th		7th		10		7th		45	100.0%
Votes and voting shares
Political party		Administrative unit														total
		Banjul		Kanifing		Brikama		Mansa Konko		Kerevan		Janjanbureh		Bass
	APRC	5,776	52.9%	23,615	43.3%	37,817	58.8%	9,292	38.1%	31,682	62.3%	26,024	53.5%	26,264	48.5%	160,470	52.1%
	UDP	3,937	36.0%	20,088	36.8%	24,061	37.4%	12,099	49.7%	19,153	37.7%	13,528	27.8%	11,702	21.6%	104,568	34.0%
	NRP	-	-	-	-	479	0.7%	1,147	4.7%	-	-	5.013	10.3%	-	-	6,639	2.2%
	PDOIS	356	3.3%	10,876	19.9%	1,978	3.1%	874	3.6%	-	-	2,449	5.0%	7,739	14.3%	24,272	7.9%
	Independent	860	7.9%	-	-	-	-	947	3.9%	-	-	1,655	3.4%	8,445	15.6%	11,907	3.9%
total		10,929		54,579		64,335		24,359		50,835		48,669		54,150		307.856

Election results by constituency

Administrative unit	Constituency	candidate	Political party	be right	proportion of
Banjul
	Banjul North
		Sheikh Omar Njie	APRC	1,834	55.16%
		Ebrima Ndow	UDP	1,491	44.84%
	Banjul Central
		Musa Sinyan	APRC	1.931	46.94%
		Christian Samuel Davies	UDP	967	23.51%
		Pa Sallah Jeng	independent	860	20.90%
		Ahmed Jeggan Loum	PDOIS	356	8.65%
	Banjul South
		David Jones	APRC	2.011	57.62%
		Pa Babou Seedy Njie	UDP	1,479	42.38%
Kanifing
	Bakau
		Dembo Sainey Bojang	UDP	5,320	58.80%
		Saihou Sanyang	APRC	3,727	41.20%
	Serekunda West
		Sulayman Joof	APRC	10,313	53.27%
		Gibou Momodou Jagne	UDP	6,701	34.61%
		Adama Bah	PDOIS	2,347	12.12%
	Serekunda East
		Fabakary Tombong Jatta	APRC	9,575	36.59%
		Halifa Baboucarr Sallah	PDOIS	8,529	32.59%
		Bakary Mariama Sarjo	UDP	8,067	30.82%
Brikama
	North combo
		Musa Suso	APRC	13,866	59.29%
		Yusupha FA Cham	UDP	8,279	35.40%
		Seedy S. Ceesay	PDOIS	1,243	5.31%
	Combo South
		Paul L. Mendy	APRC	7,888	59.18%
		Kebba K. Barrow	UDP	4,962	37.23%
		Yusupha K. Sanyang	NRP	479	3.59%
	Combo Central
		Abdou Badjie	APRC	8,045	51.22%
		Wassa Janneh	UDP	6,928	44.10%
		Ousman GA Kebbeh	PDOIS	735	4.68%
	Combo East
		Kebba M. Touray	APRC	5,009	57.94%
		Pa Saikou Kujabi	UDP	3,636	42.06%
	Foni Berefet
		Karafa Badjie	APRC	unanimously	100.00%
	Foni Bintang
		Ebrima Janko Sanyang	APRC	unanimously	100.00%
	Foni Kansala
		Kawsu L. Gibba	APRC	3,009	92.16%
		Momodou L. Nyassi	UDP	256	7.84%
	Foni Bondali
		Ansumana Sanneh	APRC	unanimously	100.00%
	Foni Jarrol
		Musa Baldeh	APRC	unanimously	100.00%
Mansa Konko
	Kiang West
		Omar Kebba Mass	UDP	3,405	64.71%
		Meneta Njie	APRC	1,323	25.14%
		Sulayman Darbo	PDOIS	534	10.15%
	Kiang Central
		Musa Gallel J. Njadoe	NRP	1,147	38.16%
		Babanding KK Daffeh	UDP	1.104	36.73%
		Demba Jobarteh	APRC	755	25.12%
	Kiang East
		Buba Samura	UDP	1,412	50.63%
		Ansumana Sanneh	APRC	1,377	49.37%
	Jarra West
		Kemenseng N. Jammeh	UDP	3.224	50.94%
		Baba Jobe	APRC	2,981	47.10%
		Lamin Manneh	PDOIS	124	1.96%
	Jarra Central
		Phoday Lang Sarr	APRC	1,202	43.44%
		Alkali Jallow	independent	947	34.22%
		Momodou Lamin Ceesay	UDP	618	22.33%
	Jarra East
		Seedy Amang Kanyi	UDP	2,336	55.54%
		Ousman Lang Sana Dabo	APRC	1,654	39.32%
		Ebou Ceesay	PDOIS	216	5.14%
Kerevan
	Lower Niumi
		Jain Coli Fye	APRC	8,876	82.56%
		Musa Malang Sonko	UDP	1,875	17.44%
	Upper Niumi
		Ousman Jallow	APRC	4,617	67.22%
		Ebrima Kanjura Sonko	UDP	2,251	32.78%
	Jokadu
		Amadou O. Khan	APRC	2,878	60.63%
		Baba Abu Khan	UDP	1,869	39.37%
	Lower Badibu
		Abdoulie Suku Singhateh	APRC	2,931	53.22%
		Majanko Samusa	UDP	2,576	46.78%
	Central Badibu
		Abou Karamba Kassamba	UDP	3,192	58.14%
		Janko Fatou Jaiteh	APRC	2,298	41.86%
	Illiasa
		Araabo Ansu Kanyi	APRC	5,362	53.83%
		Sainey Kebba Jadama	UDP	4,599	46.17%
	Sabach Sanjal
		Kebba Lang Camara	APRC	4,720	62.84%
		Yankuba Solly Camara	UDP	2,791	37.16%
Janjanbureh
	Lower Saloum
		Fafa Touray	APRC	3.134	61.69%
		Abdou Mamsamba Njie	NRP	1,499	29.51%
		Ebou Faal	UDP	447	8.80%
	Upper Saloum
		Hamat NK Bah	NRP	2,765	44.19%
		Sainey Mbye	APRC	2.157	43.82%
	Nianija
		Dawda Bah	APRC	1,476	96.91%
		Essa Bah	independent	47	3.09%
	Niani
		Almamy Aboubakary Touray	UDP	2,730	46.32%
		Kebba Babucarr Sabally	APRC	2,225	37.75%
		Buray Alpha Yeah	NRP	749	12.71%
		Ousman Janko	PDOIS	190	3.22%
	Sami
		Alh. Edrissa Samba Lamtoro Sallah	APRC	3,045	53.75%
		Sheriff Sawaneh	UDP	2,327	41.08%
		Essa Wally	PDOIS	293	5.17%
	Niamina Dankunku
		Sanna Jallow	APRC	1,451	68.35%
		Jaye Jallow	PDOIS	672	31.65%
	Niamina West
		Lamin Wollom S. Jallow	independent	1,608	58.07%
		Baboucarr Sonko	APRC	1,161	41.93%
	Niamina East
		Eliman Secka	APRC	n / A	elected
	Lower Fulladu West
		Saikou Foday Njie	APRC	4,805	52.36%
		Dawda Malang Fanta Sama	UDP	3,743	40.79%
		Ebrima Haruna Jobarteh	PDOIS	628	6.84%
	Upper Fulladu West
		Churchill Falai Baldeh	APRC	6,046	57.10%
		Amadou Sanneh	UDP	3,876	36.61%
		Tijan Babou Ramou Njie	PDOIS	666	6.29%
	Janjanbureh
		Daddy Kabba Dampha	APRC	524	56.40%
		Foday Jibani Manka	UDP	405	43.60%
Bass
	Jimara
		Kanimang Sanneh	APRC	4,599	50.81%
		Saihou Mballow	UDP	4,452	49.19%
	Bass
		Momodou Sellou Bah	APRC	5,072	55.01%
		Sidia K. L Sagnia	UDP	3,637	39.45%
		Ibrahima K. Kejera	PDOIS	511	5.54%
	Tumana
		Netty Baldeh	APRC	4,950	56.12%
		Mbemba M. Tambedou	UDP	2,515	28.51%
		Saikuba Ceesay	PDOIS	1,356	15.37%
	Cantora
		Hassan Jallow	independent	5,534	59.34%
		Omar Baru Camara	APRC	3,792	40.66%
	Wuli
		Sidia Sana Jatta	PDOIS	5,499	48.93%
		Mamadi Karlo Jabai	APRC	4,641	41.30%
		Alhamadou AK Conteh	UDP	1,098	9.77%
	Sandu
		Abdoulie Kanagi Jawla	APRC	3.210	49.43%
		Pa Ousman Drammeh	independent	2,911	44.83%
		Lamina Giana	PDOIS	373	5.74%

Elected MPs

One of the 49 members of parliament was a woman (rate: 2.04%), who came from among the appointed members. Except for Menata Njie , all 106 other candidates were men. These include (number in brackets) teachers (14), agriculturists (10), social workers (4), technicians (3), business people (3) and building contractors (2), with 13 members, previous activity is not documented. At the time of election, three members are under or equal to 30 years old, the groups 30–40 years and persons 40–50 years old are each made up of 18 members, seven members are in the group 50–60 years and two are members of parliament are over 70 years old (the age of one member is not proven).

See also : List of Members of the Gambian Parliament (1997–2002)

By-elections

It is not known whether by-elections took place.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} GAMBIA (THE) National Assembly - ELECTORAL SYSTEM Interparliamentary Union , accessed June 2011
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} GAMBIA (THE) Parliamentary Chamber: National Assembly - ELECTIONS HELD IN 1997 Interparliamentary Union , accessed June 2011
3. ↑ Voting with marbles in the Gambia aceproject.org, accessed June 2011
4. ↑ ^{a b c} African Elections Database: January 2, 1997 National Assembly Election , accessed June 2011
5. ↑ No by-election in Kombo East  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. The Daily Observer (online) May 12, 2011  
6. ↑ US Census Bureau estimate for 1997, mid-year
7. ↑ ^{a b} NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS RESULTS 1997 ( Memento from September 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) PDF file on iec.gm, accessed June 2011
8. ↑ Ebrima Ceesay Jogomai: The military and 'democratization' in the Gambia. 1994-2003 2006, ISBN 1-4251-0103-8
9. ^ African Elections Database: April 29, 1992, House of Representatives Election , accessed June 2011