Gambian parliamentary election, 1997
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in the Gambia
on 2 January 1997 three months after presidential elections
. The first since Yahya Jammeh
's 1994 coup, they were also the first parliamentary elections to be held under the new constitution
. However, Decree 89 meant that pre-1994 parties (such as the former ruling People's Progressive Party
) were still banned.
The elections were originally scheduled for 11 December 1996, but following an attack on military barracks at Farafenni
at the start of November, they were postponed, and all political rallies were banned.
Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction
won a convincing majority, claiming 33 of the 45 elected seats; enough to change the constitution.
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
on 2 January 1997 three months after presidential elections
Gambian presidential election, 1996
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 29 September 1996. The first since Yahya Jammeh's 1994 coup, they were also the first elections to be held under the new constitution, and the first presidential elections to be held alone...
. The first since Yahya Jammeh
Yahya Jammeh
Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh is the President of The Gambia...
's 1994 coup, they were also the first parliamentary elections to be held under the new constitution
Gambian constitutional referendum, 1996
A constitutional referendum was held in the Gambia on 8 August 1996. The new constitution was passed, with voter turnout of 85.9%.-Background:...
. However, Decree 89 meant that pre-1994 parties (such as the former ruling People's Progressive Party
People's Progressive Party (The Gambia)
The People's Progressive Party is a moderate centre-left political party in The Gambia. It was the dominant ruling party from 1965 with president Dawda Jawara. He was elected for a sixth term of office in 1992, but was overthrown in a coup by young army officers in 1994...
) were still banned.
The elections were originally scheduled for 11 December 1996, but following an attack on military barracks at Farafenni
Farafenni
Farafenni is a town in The Gambia, lying on the Trans-Gambia Highway in the North Bank Division, just south of the border with Senegal. It is an important market town....
at the start of November, they were postponed, and all political rallies were banned.
Jammeh's Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction
Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction
The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction is a political party in The Gambia, founded by army officers who staged a coup in 1994. It was formed in 1996 to support army leader Yahya Jammeh's campaign for the 1996 elections....
won a convincing majority, claiming 33 of the 45 elected seats; enough to change the constitution.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction is a political party in The Gambia, founded by army officers who staged a coup in 1994. It was formed in 1996 to support army leader Yahya Jammeh's campaign for the 1996 elections.... |
160,470 | 52.13% | 33 |
| United Democratic Party United Democratic Party (The Gambia) The United Democratic Party is a conservative political party in The Gambia, affiliated to the International Democratic Union, founded in 1996 by the human rights lawyer Ousainou Darboe... |
104,568 | 33.97% | 7 |
| People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism The People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism is a radical socialist political party in The Gambia. Its candidate at the presidential elections of 18 October 2001, Sidia Jatta, came fifth with 3.0% of the popular vote... |
24,272 | 7.88% | 1 |
| National Reconciliation Party National Reconciliation Party The National Reconciliation Party is a political party in The Gambia.Its candidate at the presidential elections of 18 October 2001, Hamat Bah, came third with 7.8% of the popular vote. At the last legislative elections, 17 January 2002, the party won no seats.... |
6,639 | 2.16% | 2 |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
11,907 | 3.86% | 2 |
| Presidential appointees | - | - | 4 |
| Total (turnout 73.2%) | 307,856 | 100% | 49 |
| Source: African Elections database | |||