The second phase of the local democratic process has been decided in the Mayoral and Chairmanship elections with the opposition having taken the lead in Urban Gambia and the ruling NPP taking the lead in Rural Gambia. In the Councilors elections, the opposition won the most seats.
Again, in this election, the opposition won a decisive victory over the ruling NPP. Certainly, this grip on Urban Gambia (Banjul, KMC, WCR, and MKK areas) by the opposition, is telling in many ways, and bad signals for the ruling party's chances in future elections in the country.
Urban Gambia constitutes 60% of the population of the country. It is therefore, in my considered view, a winning environment for the Presidency of the country. It is inconceivable that the electorate that overwhelmingly voted for the NPP candidate Barrow in the 2021 presidential elections, have now turned their backs on the NPP in two of the local Government elections in 2023.
For various reasons, Gambians have rendered a protest vote against the government in this election. It could be observed that in recent years, governance issues have been of concern to the people and particularly to the populations in Urban Gambia. To name a few, these issues included the Justice system, accountability and transparency in the public service, the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) health problem for which the people expect government action on those responsible in protecting the health of the nation, the increase of NAWEC tariffs, high costs of living, no consequence in governance for wrongdoings by public officials including ministers and for failing sectors of the economy, no new constitution, untimely set up of Commision of Inquiry on local councils, politicization of the public and diplomatic service, high cost of house rent, continuous presence of ECOMIG in The Gambia, amongst others. These are everyday talks in town and generate anger from the people. Those close to the corridors of power and those enjoying the sweetness of office cannot possibly deny knowing about the feelings of the people on such issues of concern. How many of them are honest, sincere and professional enough to tell the truth to power and advise the President on the state of the nation. Perhaps, the President is not aware of the socio-economic and political realities on the ground.
The NPP therefore, seem to have taken Gambians for granted and relied on the advantages of incumbency. I honestly think the NPP did not have a winning formula and did not change their team. NPP should check the choices of its candidates in future elections.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Furthermore, it was politically not prudent to allow NAWEC to increase their tariffs before elections. And also, not politically wise to set up local government commissions on Municipalities and Area Councils before elections. These, coupled with governance issues mentioned led to the resentment of the people against the government. It must be said that when political opportunism takes precedence over political commitment in the administration, the end result will be governance failure in service delivery. We have a president who adheres to democratic governance and has a big heart to develop the country. Why should the political climate not be favorable to his excellency if all hands in government and in the NPP are on deck. The need for the complete and total overhaul of the governance environment is of utmost necessity.
For greater visibility and survival of the NPP in Gambian politics, the ruling government should come up with new measures to address the governance issues of concern to the people. A new breed of competent, professional, qualified, and seasoned technocrats combined with politically committed citizens should be onboard for effective and efficient service delivery to the nation. The truth is Gambians want a change in the outlook of the current government. The government must face the realities of the situation on the ground. The elections have indeed shown a protest vote against the government rather than a popularity contest outcome. The people's protest favored the opposition in the election. This is the truth.
D M Badjie Political Scientist / Dev. Consultant
