| Parliament name |
National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
25 January 2007 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the elective seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
Parliamentary elections were held on 25 January 2007. At the previous elections
held in 2002
the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Consultation (APRC) won 45 of the 48 directly elected seats in the National Assembly
including 33 unopposed seats. The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) boycotted the elections on the grounds that they were seriously flawed. President Yahya Jammeh (APRC) was re-elected for a third term in September 2006.
In January 2005
five opposition parties sought to unite in a coalition called the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD). However
the UDP and the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) left the coalition in 2006.
A total of 103 candidates ran in the 2007 elections. Only the APRC fielded candidates in all 48 constituencies. The UDP
led by human rights lawyer Ousainou Darboe
fielded 29 candidates and its partner
the NRP
put up nine candidates.
The APRC pledged to maintain the Government's socio-economic development strategy
Vision 2020
which had been launched by President Jammeh in 1996. All parties promised to provide safe drinking water and better roads
education
jobs
and health care. The UDP leader accused the security services of hampering his party's election campaign
and called for the elections to be free and fair.
Approximately 38 per cent of the country's 670
000 registered voters (out of a total population of 1.5 million) turned out at the polls. This represented a sharp drop from the 56 per cent turnout recorded in 2002.
Observers from 20 different organizations
including the African Union and the Commonwealth
monitored the polls. They said the elections were free and fair
although they noted the low turnout and other shortcomings.
The final results confirmed the ruling APRC's absolute majority in the National Assembly with 42 seats
including five that were unopposed
while the UDP took four seats. The remaining seats went to the NADD and an independent candidate.
Ms. Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay (APRC) was appointed as the new Speaker of the National Assembly
and the newly elected National Assembly held its first session on 8 February 2007. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 25 January 2007 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
569'630
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) |
42
|
|
|
|
|
| United Democratic Party (UDP) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
| Independents |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
48
5
9.43%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- National Assembly (09.02.2007
01.01.2010)
- http://www.iec.gm
Note:
The Distribution of seats according to political parties refers to the 48 directly elected seats.
The Distribution of seats according to sex includes the five appointed members.
Two women were elected and three were appointed
for a total of five women among the 53 members. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
