GAMBIA: African Union observers say poll has largely gone well in election which President Yahya Jammeh tipped to be reelected
Record ID:
327632
GAMBIA: African Union observers say poll has largely gone well in election which President Yahya Jammeh tipped to be reelected
- Title: GAMBIA: African Union observers say poll has largely gone well in election which President Yahya Jammeh tipped to be reelected
- Date: 26th November 2011
- Summary: BANJUL, GAMBIA (NOVEMBER 24, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF VARIOUS CANDIDATES WITH OBSERVERS PRESENT DOING FINAL CHECKS BEFORE THE END OF THE VOTE BALLOT BOXES IN VOTING BOOTHS VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL OFFICIALS TAKING BALLOT BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (English) IBRAHIMA COULIBALY, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GAMBIAN INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION, SAYING: "When we closed at 4 o'clock everything was normal. We close at four even the party agents they were all satisfied with the outcome." BALLOT BOXES BEING TRANSPORTED IN CAR WITH POLICE AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CANDIDATES AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION TEAM LEADER DR SAMUEL AZOUFONCAM TALKING TO A COLLEAGUE ELECTORAL OFFICIALS WALKING CARRYING THE BALLOT BOXES (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION TEAM LEADER DR SAMUEL AZOUFONCAM , SAYING "But we notice for instance that the representatives of the candidates, that all the candidates, the three candidates were not in a uniform manner represented in all the polling station where we were. The ruling party candidate had representatives in all of the polling stations but the other two candidates no uniformly. But by and large I think it was a fairly well conducted process." VARIOUS OF ROOM WHERE VOTE COUNTING TAKING PLACE, OFFICIALS OBSERVING THE COUNT DRUMS WITH MARBLES INSIDE REPRESENTING VOTES BEING COUNTED VOTE NUMBERS BEING ENTERED ON A COMPUTER
- Embargoed: 11th December 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Gambia, Gambia
- Country: Gambia
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA243BUY0ZW5LIE5Y80AH8KSC1R
- Story Text: Gambian President Yahya Jammeh predicted a comfortable victory in a poll on Thursday which West African regional bloc ECOWAS said has been marked by the intimidation of opposition groups and voters.
Mainland Africa's smallest country is a popular tourist spot known for palm-fringed tropical beaches but also for widespread allegations of human rights abuses and crippling poverty.
Nearly 800,000 Gambians are registered to vote in the election pitting Jammeh against two opposition rivals.
Voters are given one marble each, which they drop into a drum corresponding to the candidate of their choice. The marble strikes a bell inside the drum, preventing multiple voting -- an archaic method of voting devised by colonialists.
Jammeh, whom opponents accuse of persecuting them, said there would be no coalitions with the opposition.
He earlier said no violence would be tolerated.
Despite high tourist revenues, as a tourist destination hotspot, a sack of rice costs about $30 in a country where average income is $1 a day.
Turnout was brisk in Banjul and its suburbs. A number of polling stations remained open past the normal closing time of 4.00 p.m. (1600 GMT) to allow those still queuing to cast their vote.
"When we closed at 4 o'clock everything was normal because even the party agents they were satisfied with the result outcome," said Ibrahima Coulibaly, an Electoral Commission representative in the country's capital Banjul.
Many analysts believe Jammeh's election to a new five-year term is a foregone conclusion after 17 years of rule that began with a 1994 coup and have been marked by lethal crackdowns on protests, mass arrests of opponents and military reshuffles.
Regional body ECOWAS, in an unusually strong criticism of a member state, said on Tuesday it would not send a mission to observe the poll "because the preparations and political environment ... are adjudged by the commission not to be conducive for the conduct of free, fair and transparent polls."
Its fact-finding mission found "an unacceptable level of control of the electronic media by the party in power ... and an opposition and electorate cowed by repression and intimidation".
An African Union delegation was present to observe voting.
"We notice that for exemple the reprentatives of candidates, the trhee candidates were not in the uniform representating out of the poling station when we were the ruling party candidate are representatived in all the poling station but another candidates no uniform in. But by and large I think it was a very well conducted process," said Dr Samuel Azoufoncam, the team leader of the African Union observer mission.
Gambia's election follows other recent polls in West Africa, a region that has struggled with democracy, including elections in Ivory Coast which led to a brief civil war, and smoother ones in Guinea, Liberia and Niger.
One of Africa's most colourful rulers, Jammeh announced in 2007 he had a herbal concoction that cured AIDS, but only on Thursdays, a claim derided by international health experts.
While United States sees the Gambian government as an ally against militants and drugs trafficking, rights groups have repeatedly accused Jammeh of stifling dissent and free press.
He declared in July neither a vote nor a coup could oust him, saying he ruled thanks to divine intervention. He has courted controversy with reported threats to human rights groups and a 2008 order for all homosexuals to leave Gambia.
Gambia is a sliver of land along the Gambia River between northern and southern Senegal.
Neighbouring Senegal and Guinea have both in the past accused him of trying to de-stabilise them, while Gambia's ties with Taiwan mean it is one of a handful of African states which do not currently have diplomatic relations with China.
Jammeh, who has won all three elections since the coup, is running against Hamat Bah, 51, representing a four-party alliance, and Canadian-trained attorney Ousainou Darboe, 63. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None