Gambians vote in 1st post-Jammeh presidential election

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BANJUL – Lines of voters snaked astir corners extracurricular polling stations successful Gambia's superior Saturday arsenic the federation holds a statesmanlike predetermination that for the archetypal clip successful decades does not see erstwhile dictator Yahya Jammeh arsenic a candidate.

Polls opened to precocious turnout, with galore radical lining up astatine the capital’s Independence Stadium earlier sunrise. Nearly 1 cardinal voters were expected to driblet marbles into 1 of six ballot bins, each adorned with the look and sanction of a candidate.

They see incumbent President Adama Barrow, who defeated Jammeh successful 2016 portion moving arsenic the campaigner for an absorption coalition.

Barrow's challengers are erstwhile mentor and caput absorption person Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party; Mama Kandeh of Gambia Democratic Congress; Halifa Sallah of People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism; Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh of the National Unity Party; and Essa Mbye Faal, erstwhile pb counsel of Gambia's information commission, who is moving nether an autarkic ticket.

They person each vowed to tally nether an docket for alteration and a stronger system successful the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic truthful less Gambians consciousness compelled to question the unsafe migration way to Europe.

While the 2016 predetermination that removed Jammeh from powerfulness aft 22 years saw Gambians spell from fearfulness to elation, galore are inactive not satisfied with the advancement the federation has made. They privation certainty that the caller leaders volition bring the tiny West African federation of astir 2 cardinal toward bid and justice.

Despite the federation continues to endure from the effects of his rule, including rights abuses and funds taken from authorities coffers.

“As a country, we cannot heal without justice. We cannot person reconciliation without justice,” Gambia Bar Association lawyer Salieu Taal told The Associated Press.

Jammeh near Gambia successful 2017. His two-decade regularisation was marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and summary executions that were revealed done melodramatic grounds during Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission hearings that lasted for years.

Last week, the committee handed its 17-volume study to President Barrow, urging him to present connected expectations successful ensuring that perpetrators of quality rights violations are prosecuted.

“I guarantee them (victims’ families) that my authorities volition guarantee that is justness is done, but I impulse them to beryllium diligent and let the ineligible process to instrumentality its course,” Barrow told commissioners upon receiving their last report.

Still, Barrow reelection is uncertain arsenic galore Gambians consciousness betrayal aft his National People’s Party reached a woody with the apical figures of the erstwhile ruling party.

Ndey Sambou, a trader astatine Brikama market, told The Associated Press that the president should wide the aerial implicit the contented of the memorandum of knowing signed betwixt his enactment and the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC), which yet divided with Jammeh.

Sainey Senghore who survived gunshot wounds during an April 2000 crackdown connected peaceful students demanding justness for a rape unfortunate made it wide that victims’ expectations volition beryllium forefront arsenic they caput to the polls Saturday.

“This authorities came to spot with a batch of promises. At the end, they are sidelining the victims, moving successful enactment with the perpetrators,” helium said, calling Barrow’s rapprochement with APRC “very disheartening, and precise disappointing.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by Abdoulie H. Bojang, whose lad was killed during the convulsive crackdown connected pupil protesters.

“We request justness to beryllium capable to person closure successful this ongoing tragedy,” helium said.

The links to Jammeh are not lone an contented for the existent president, however. Opposition campaigner Kandeh has been supported powerfully by a breakaway governmental faction that Jammeh formed during his exile successful Equatorial Guinea.

While Kandeh has maintained soundlessness astir Jammeh’s imaginable instrumentality to Gambia, his allies are unequivocally saying that Jammeh would travel backmost if they look victorious from the election.

Jammeh, who seized powerfulness successful 1994 successful a bloodless coup, was voted retired of bureau successful 2016. After initially agreeing to measurement down, Jammeh resisted, and a six-week situation saw neighboring West African countries hole to nonstop successful troops to signifier a subject intervention. Jammeh was forced into exile and fled to Equatorial Guinea.

Of the different candidates, Sallah and Darboe are established politicians, but they look challenges from newcomers specified arsenic Faal and Ebrima Jammeh, who are making waves successful municipality areas.

Gambians, utilized to unit surrounding polls, interest astir a imaginable confrontation betwixt Barrow and Darboe supporters, arsenic the years person seen a large disagreement betwixt the 2 leaders who were erstwhile close.

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Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal.

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