Opposition leader's arrest ignites tensions in Gambia

By Mustapha K. Darboe

BANJUL, Gambia

About eight months before the people of Gambia head to polls to elect a new president, the arrest of an opposition leader has ignited a tense political environment in the tiny West African nation.

The ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction government and the leading opposition United Democratic Party went into a tense confrontation following the arrest of its leader Ousainou Darboe on April 16.

Darboe was held after he led a peaceful protest against the death of his party's youth leader Solo Sandeng in state custody.

Sandeng himself had led a protest on April 14 demanding electoral reforms before he died. The opposition party claims that at least three of its members have been killed so far.

A leading Gambian social commentator and leader of the opposition Party for Democracy Independence and Socialism, Halifa Sallah, said it was “inconceivable” that Darboe and his colleagues had been locked up at a time when the country was preparing for presidential elections.

“Gambia is faced with an electoral cycle commencing with the 1st December presidential elections. It is inconceivable for one to have an environment conducive for holding election while the key executive members of a major party are put behind bars for political reasons,” Sallah wrote in a letter Wednesday to Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994.

Essa Njie, an independent analyst, told Anadolu Agency that the trial of UDP leaders and reported deaths in custody of their colleagues were two major incidents that could have a huge impact on the country's political situation in the lead up to the polls.

According to analysts, the current spate of political tensions appears to be due to a communication gap between the ruling party, Independent Electoral Commission and the opposition over rules of engagements in the upcoming elections.

In May last year, Gambian opposition parties had proposed electoral and constitutional reforms, which were rejected after they were shared with the ruling party and election authorities in the country.

Also, an opposition inter-party committee had petitioned the Independent Electoral Commission on the need for electoral and constitutional reforms ahead of the elections in December this year.

A letter dated April 12, signed by all opposition parties and sent to the commission, had requested for the annulment of certain provisions in the recent electoral amendment act, which places $11,740 registration fee on presidential candidates and makes it compulsory on party executive members to be residents of the country, among several other conditions.

“The Independent Electoral Commission’s recent action to unilaterally pursue the amendment to the Elections Act, has further aggravated and deepened the misunderstanding between the commission and the opposition parties, most especially when the commission turned a deaf ear to their demands for electoral reforms,” the petition, a copy of which Anadolu Agency has seen, read.

While the situation appears gloomy due to the opposition leader's arrest, some steps have been made to defuse the tensions. About two weeks back, a UN resident representative in Gambia, Ade Mamonyane Lekoetje, had invited all political parties to a closed-door meeting to discuss matters of mutual concern and avoid further political tensions.

An executive member of the National Reconciliation Party told Anadolu Agency that the Africa Union, Economic Community of West Africa States, U.S. embassy, EU representative and other relevant institutions had their representatives at the meeting.

“We have formed a committee with members from all political parties today that is meeting tomorrow April 28 [Thursday] to look into this UDP incident. The committee will visit the UDP members, visit affected families and also the authorities to get their various account of what have happened,” he added.