The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) wants the country’s top constitutional court to overturn the December 4 presidential election, after alleging widespread rigging by President Barrow’s NPP.
In an election petition filed late Tuesday in Banjul at the Supreme Court, the UDP lawyers expressed belief that they have enough evidence to support their case.
The election was generally declared free, fair and transparent by local and international observers, some of whom raised some concerns; and, recommended that the electoral commission improves on its performance.
A senior Gambian lawyer, Borry Touray, is leading the team of lawyers which submitted the UDP petition at the country’s apex court.
He told reporters that they have evidence to back their claims, and was confident that the Supreme Court will do justice to the matter.
According to the Gambian constitution (in section 49): “Any registered political party which has participated in the election of a Presidential election or an independent candidate who has participated in such an election and isn’t satisfied with results may apply to the Supreme Court to determine the validity of the election of a President by filing a petition within 10 days of the declaration of the result of the election”.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) released the official election results last Sunday 5 December, and declared Barrow as the winner, with 457,519 votes and 53.2 percent of all the votes cast.
According to the figures released by the IEC, out of 962,157 registered voters, 859,567 cast their votes giving a high voter turnout of around 90 percent.
Barrow’s challengers in the election were namely, Ousainou Darboe of the UDP with 238,253 votes (27.7 percent), Mamma Kandeh of the GDC with 105,902 votes (12.3 percent), Halifa Sallah of PDOIS with 32,435 votes (3.8 percent) Independent candidate Essa Mbye Faal with 17,206 votes (2.0 percent) and Abdoulie Jammeh of the NUP with 8,252 votes (1.0 percent).
