The former party of President Adama Barrow, the United Democratic Party, has swept the local government elections polls winning 62 of the 120 seats contested for.
The Gambia Democratic Congress party led by a former ally of ex President Yahya Jammeh, Mamma Kandeh, has come second with 23 seats.
However, the party of the former ruler Jammeh, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, has won only 18 seats. This is a hard fall from their previous election when they won all the councilor seats.
The National Reconciliation Party won 5 seats, People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism won 7, People’s Progressive Party won 1, Gambia Moral Congress won 1 and independents won 3. National Convention Party an Gambia Party for Democracy and Development won nothing.
Barrow resigned from the UDP to contest as an independent candidate for the coalition that dethroned the former dictator Yahya Jammeh.
“The election was done fairly and transparently,” Said election chairman, Alieu Momar Njai.
This is the second elections after the fall of the former ruler. The UDP has also won majority of seats in the country’s parliamentary election in April 2016.
Despite the low voter turnout, this year’s election has seen an unprecedented rise in participation with 409 candidates from 8 different political parties and independents.
The councilor vote is seen as a test for parties ahead of the country’s mayoral elections slated for May 12th.
By Mustapha K Darboe
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