| Parliament name |
National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
6 April 2017 |
| Purpose of elections |
The United Democratic Party (UDP, see note 1) won an absolute majority with 31 seats in the 58-member National Assembly. The 2017 elections were the first to be held under the presidency of Mr. Adama Barrow who defeated the long-serving President Yahya Jammeh in the December 2016 presidential elections (see note 2). The former ruling party, the Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC), took only five seats, down from the 48 seats won during the 2012 elections boycotted by six opposition parties, including the UDP. The newly elected National Assembly comprises the first-ever woman Speaker and a disabled person who both are presidential appointees.
Note 1:
Mr. Barrow was UDP treasurer when a seven-party opposition coalition selected him as its joint presidential candidate. He left the UDP before the presidential elections. The coalition subsequently broke apart and parties fielded their candidates separately in the parliamentary elections.
Note 2:
Mr. Jammeh initially recognized the election results but subsequently refused to step down. Mediation efforts by West African leaders and the threat of military intervention eventually brought about the countrys first-ever democratic transition since 1994 when Mr. Jammeh had seized power in a coup.
|
Date of previous elections: 29 March 2012
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 10 April 2017
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: April 2022
Number of seats at stake: 53 (full renewal)*
*In addition, there are five members appointed by the President.
Number of candidates: 239 (218 men, 21 women)
Percentage of women candidates: 8.8%
Number of parties contesting the election: 9
Number of parties winning seats: 6
Alternation of power: Yes
Number of parties in government: 7
Names of parties in government: United Democratic Party (UDP), National Reconciliation Party (NRP), Peoples' Progressive Party (PPP), People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), Gambia Moral Congress (GMC), Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP), National Convention Party (NCP)
Date of the first session of the new parliament: 11 April 2017
Name of the new Speaker: Ms. Mariam Jack Denton (nominated member) |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 6 April 2017 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
886'578
379'320 (42.78%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| United Democratic Party (UDP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Reconciliation Party (NRP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Progressive Party (PPP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| United Democratic Party (UDP) |
31
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Patriotic Re-Orientation and Construction (APRC) |
5
|
|
|
|
|
| National Reconciliation Party (NRP) |
5
|
|
|
|
|
| Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) |
5
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Progressive Party (PPP) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
52
6
10.34%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Note on the distribution of seats according to sex:
Three women were elected and three others were appointed, or a total of six women among 58 members.
Sources:
National Assembly (21.04.2017, 14.12.2017)
Independent Electoral Commission (16.06.2017)
http://iec.gm/nomination-of-national-assembly-members-2017/
http://iec.gm/political-parties/registered-parties/
https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/eu_eom_the_gambia_preliminary_statement_3.pdf
http://www.france24.com/
http://www.dw.com
http://www.lemonde.fr
http://www.thewomenstorch.com/ |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
