November 2021
Fact check: Ousainu Darboe was the leader of the pressure group dubbed ‘3 Years Jotna
Claim: The leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) is the chief executive of the ‘Three Years Jotna’ Source: Incumbent Adama Barrow Verdict: The claim is false During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Barrow made a campaign promise that if elected, he would serve for only three years, instead of constitutionally mandated five years. He would then preside over a fresh election on a levelled-playing field in which he would not participate. This promise was premised on the agreement he had with seven political party leaders and other independent candidates that backed him. According to the agreement, the president should resign in January 2020 having been sworn...
Fact sheet: important decisions and timelines on presidential elections calendar
The Independent Electoral Commission has cleared 6-candidates for Gambia’s December 4 presidential elections. Below are the key information you need to know. Accepted nominations A.N.M Ousainu Darboe – United Democratic Party; Mamma Kandeh – Gambia Democratic Congress; Halifa Baboucarr Sallah – Peoples’ Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism; Adama Barrow – National Peoples’ Party, Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh – National Unity Party and an independent candidate Essa Mbye Faal. Cancellations Independent candidates Mathew Gomez, Tamsir M. Jassey and Mamadou Bah and political parties Gambia For All and All Peoples’ Party have cancelled their nominations. Rejected candidates The electoral authorities rejected nomination of 15 candidates due to non-compliance...
Dangerous speech alert: UDP leader’s remarks towards Serahuli community
The leader of opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) Ousainou Darboe’s comments with respect to how the Serahule people allegedly voted in the 2016 presidential elections have been flagged as dangerous speech by Malagen media monitoring. Mr Darboe’s comments were made on October 17, 2021, during a political rally held in Basse Koba Kunda, in the Upper River Region (URR). The event was part of the party’s nationwide tour to popularise their 5-Point Agenda – a manifesto - for the Dec. 4 presidential election. The Serahule or Soninke make up 9 percent of the country’s population. According to Darboe, they did not...
Fact check: Ousainou Darboe threatens to deport Senegalese if elected into office
Claim: Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party threatens to deport Senegalese if he is elected president Source: Senego (Senegalese medium) Verdict: Unverifiable claim, UDP denied such statements Senegalese online paper, Senego, has published an article in French on the November 13, 2021 title ‘Gambia: Candidate Ousseynou Dabo threatens to extricate Senegalese if elected President.’ The person who authored the report on Senego is Cheikh Tidiane Kandé. The article was reproduced by other online outlets, including Buzz Senegal and News.in-24 sites. Claim Gambians are heading to polls to elect a president on December 4. Campaigns are on high gear as candidates tour the...
Fact check: is report on Barrow’s property ownership in Senegal true?
Claim: Senegalese investigative journalist Pape Ale Niang says incumbent Adama Barrow, tourism minister Hamat Bah own property in Senegal Source: Widely circulated on social media Verdict: false Gambians are heading to polls on December 4, and campaigns on what is a competition of 6 candidates for country’s top job has begun on November 9. Personal attacks, misinformation and disinformation increases with rising political tension. In the last few weeks, a widely circulated message on social media and WhatsApp claims a Senegalese journalists Pape Ale Niang said incumbent Adama Barrow and his tourism minister Hamat Bah had procured properties in Senegal. Claim A widely circulated information attributed...
Fact check: is report on Barrow’s property ownership in Senegal true?
Claim: Senegalese investigative journalist Pape Ale Niang says incumbent Adama Barrow, tourism minister Hamat Bah own property in SenegalSource: Widely circulated on social mediaVerdict: false Gambians are heading to polls on December 4, and campaigns on what is a competition of 6 candidates for country’s top job has begun on November 9. Personal attacks, misinformation and disinformation increases with rising political tension. In the last few weeks, a widely circulated message on social media and WhatsApp claims a Senegalese journalists Pape Ale Niang said incumbent Adama Barrow and his tourism minister Hamat Bah had procured properties in Senegal. Claim A widely circulated information attributed...
Independent Candidate Faal Declares Over A Billion Worth Of Assets To IEC
A former lead counsel of the truth commission established to investigate the human rights violations of ex-president Yahya Jammeh who is now an independent presidential candidate, Essa Faal, has declared at least D1.4 billion worth of assets to Independent Electoral Commission. Faal, an international lawyer shot to fame through his work at the truth commission, is one of the 6 candidates qualified to vie for country’s top job, announced IEC on Saturday. He faces Ousainou Darboe of United Democratic Party, Mama Kandeh of Gambia Democratic Congress, Halifa Sallah of Peoples’ Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism, president Adama Barrow of National Peoples’...
Fact Check: Coalition Sacks All Non-Mandinkas From Top Gov’t Jobs
Claim: The coalition gov’t sacked non-Mandinkas from top gov’t jobs Source: Ex-leader Yahya Jammeh Verdict: The claim is false. Since Jammeh left for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017, he has kept a low profile. That changed recently. After the Gambian leader Adama Barrow visited home village of Kanilai, few days after his party signed a coalition agreement with Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party, Jammeh called his first rally in Kanilai. He distanced himself from Barrow, and a faction of his party that signed an alliance with him, causing in split in APRC. Jammeh’s faction of APRC later joined the Gambia Democratic...