Voting is underway in the country as Gambians elect National Assembly Members. Polls have opened at 8 am and are expected to close by 5pm.

The exercise so far peaceful and orderly. But sporadic incidents of disturbances are being reported in some parts of West Coast and Lower River Regions. Low voter turnout appears to be widespread for now. There seem to be more women than men.  

The election is coming barely five months after the presidential election won by incumbent Adama Barrow and his National Peoples Party (NPP).

A record 246 candidates, including 19 women and two differently abled persons are participating in this year’s parliamentary election. At least 166 are drawn from 12 political parties whilst the rest are vying as independent candidates.

Low voter turnout  

There are no queues in several voting centres Malagen visited in the Old Yundum constituency where the incumbent Abdoulie Ceesay is battling it out with seven other candidates, including a woman.

“People are not coming out to vote the way they should, compared to the presidential,” Ceesay told Malagen. Parliamentary and local government elections are very important and the way we take the presidential election is the same way we should consider them seriously.”

The situation is similar in Bakau where Assan Touray of UDP is being challenged by the candidate for incumbent NPP.

“So far, the turnout is very poor. I expect my supporters to come out in their large numbers and vote, but like I said I have to go for more people and pick them from their homes and ask them to come and vote,” he said.

Many however believe that there will be improvements later in the afternoon.

Reports of disturbances

Voting was delayed for almost an hour at a polling centre in Abuko in the Latrikunda Sabiji constituency.

The Assistant Returning Office, Christine Gomez, said the disruption was caused by supporters believed to be from the UDP. They demanded that the tokens be recounted.  

“So, they came and stood in front of the queue to bar people from voting. We tried our best to stop them but we could not. But when their campaign manager arrived to talk to them, the situation calmed,” she said.

Voting in progresses normally

Despite the disturbances in the Foni and its environs, voting is progressing normally in the area, Omar Badgie, a resident of Kappa told Malagen.

Clashes between the Senegalese forces and the MFDC rebels in Casamance has displaced over 10 thousand people in the Foni area, according to the Gambia Red Cross Society.

The fight began on the Gambian side of the border on January 24. However, the affected border communities have now returned.

Badgie said people from Kappa, Ballen—the village where the soldiers first clashed with rebels—and its environs have voting in Kanpanti. “We have so far not had any issues,” he said.

By Kebba Jeffang and Momodou Janneh