The Gambia
Gambian opposition gets ready for elections

afrol News, 23 August - The Gambian opposition is seeing its first realistic chance to gain an election since the military coup in 1994, which brought autocratic President Yayah Jammeh to power. New alliances are formed and oppositional Gambians believe they can win the 18 October elections.

The Gambian opposition Coalition under the leadership of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe on Saturday launched its 2001 Presidential campaign at a mass political rally in Brikama about 22 km from the capital Banjul, the 'Gambia Radio & TV News' reported. The coalition is the first of its kind in the country's political history that has brought together three opposition parties. The rally was met by a euphoric mass.

Supporters of the various opposition groups could be heard chanting the new slogan "Jammeh Jipoh" - meaning down with Jammeh - as frantic drumming and dancing resonated all around the town, the oppositional Banjul newspaper 'The Independent' reported from Brikama. "The general mood was one of euphoria as politicians at the rally expressed confidence in the coalition's chances of bringing an end to what has been variously described as Gambia's recent years of darkness."

The forming of the new opposition Coalition came after the government on 22 July lifted a ban on several parties. Especially the Peoples Progressive Party of Sir Dawda Jawara, Gambian President from independence in 1965 to Jammeh's coup in 1994, was prevented from participating in politics by the ban. 

The new Coalition thus mainly is based on the earlier banned parties, including the Peoples Progressive Party. The new opposition leader, lawyer Ousainou Darboe, who is a fierce critic of President Jammeh, does not origin from this group. Darboe was among the leading opposition candidates in the last election, where his party was able to run. 

Also the President and his followers are mobilising. The Secretary of State for Tourism and Culture, Yankuba Touray, also on Saturday organised a political rally in Diabugu, about 415 km from Banjul. Touray asked the around 2,000 party followers to "give President Jammeh another five year mandate to complete the development projects embarked upon."

Rather than political rallies, other followers of Jammeh are engaged in more forceful attacks on the new opposition. The Gambian Attorney-general, who is trying to connect him to a corruption case, is attacking Darboe. "The government is looking for ways of disqualifying me from the forthcoming election", Darboe answered at a press conference.

A united opposition defending Darboe would however exclude such a "disqualification" and would most probably gather more than 50 percent of the Gambians' votes. The question however remains whether the opposition can unite behind Darboe. Three rather different parties form Darboe's Coalition. Four other parties who had been invited to join the coalition against President Jammeh backed out as they could not accept the leadership of Darboe.

Sources: Based on press reports and afrol archives

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