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| 'Fear has faded': Gambian election could finally end dictator's grip on power 'Fear has faded': Gambian election could finally end dictator's grip on power | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| When their unlikely hero arrived at 11pm, the crowd screamed as if Elvis himself had showed up. There were so many people surging towards him that Adama Barrow, the former estate agent who many hope will end the Gambia’s decades of deadly dictatorship, was trapped on top of the car he arrived in. So he gave his speech, the last of the campaign, standing on its roof. | When their unlikely hero arrived at 11pm, the crowd screamed as if Elvis himself had showed up. There were so many people surging towards him that Adama Barrow, the former estate agent who many hope will end the Gambia’s decades of deadly dictatorship, was trapped on top of the car he arrived in. So he gave his speech, the last of the campaign, standing on its roof. |
| Gambians will go to the polls on Thursday to vote in what is expected to be the closest election in the 22 years since Yahya Jammeh seized control of the tiny west African country in a coup. In a unique system, each voter will pick up a marble and drop it into one of three specially made drums representing the candidates. | Gambians will go to the polls on Thursday to vote in what is expected to be the closest election in the 22 years since Yahya Jammeh seized control of the tiny west African country in a coup. In a unique system, each voter will pick up a marble and drop it into one of three specially made drums representing the candidates. |
| Jammeh has made no secret of his autocratic rule, vowing to govern “for a billion years if Allah decrees it”, declaring himself “proud to be a dictator” and threatening to bury the “evil vermins called opposition … nine feet deep”. | Jammeh has made no secret of his autocratic rule, vowing to govern “for a billion years if Allah decrees it”, declaring himself “proud to be a dictator” and threatening to bury the “evil vermins called opposition … nine feet deep”. |
| After four terms, he still has support: on the main road through the country, green scraps of cloth to denote support for his party hung from many homes, their rusted tin roofs held down with bits of brick. | After four terms, he still has support: on the main road through the country, green scraps of cloth to denote support for his party hung from many homes, their rusted tin roofs held down with bits of brick. |
| But change is in the air, according to those who have witnessed numerous elections in the country, where an unlikely combination of totalitarianism and topless tourists can be witnessed. Approximately 50,000 Britons arrive annually on daily Thomas Cook flights. | But change is in the air, according to those who have witnessed numerous elections in the country, where an unlikely combination of totalitarianism and topless tourists can be witnessed. Approximately 50,000 Britons arrive annually on daily Thomas Cook flights. |
| Opposition parties have for the first time formed a coalition and chosen Barrow, who hails from several of the Gambia’s tribes and hence commands support spanning the divides many say Jammeh has deliberately widened over the course of his rule. The country’s youth, desperate for jobs, largely literate and armed with information from phone apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, have been galvanised. | Opposition parties have for the first time formed a coalition and chosen Barrow, who hails from several of the Gambia’s tribes and hence commands support spanning the divides many say Jammeh has deliberately widened over the course of his rule. The country’s youth, desperate for jobs, largely literate and armed with information from phone apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, have been galvanised. |
| On Tuesday night they ran through the streets to Barrow’s rally in Bakau near the capital, crowding on to the back of pickup trucks, singing “Jammeh must go, he’s a killer; he’s a nonsense guy,” blowing whistles and clanging pots and pans. Tourists looked on in amazement. | On Tuesday night they ran through the streets to Barrow’s rally in Bakau near the capital, crowding on to the back of pickup trucks, singing “Jammeh must go, he’s a killer; he’s a nonsense guy,” blowing whistles and clanging pots and pans. Tourists looked on in amazement. |
| The opposition leader, James Gomez, surveyed the celebratory crowd. “It’s unprecedented, we’ve never seen anything like this in the Gambia before,” he said. “I was the mayor of Banjul for 10 years, I was a popular guy, and I never got anything like this. | The opposition leader, James Gomez, surveyed the celebratory crowd. “It’s unprecedented, we’ve never seen anything like this in the Gambia before,” he said. “I was the mayor of Banjul for 10 years, I was a popular guy, and I never got anything like this. |
| “Everybody has been loosed out. Everybody’s talking. Women are talking about their grievances, young people are talking about their grievances. Everybody’s shouting out loud.” | “Everybody has been loosed out. Everybody’s talking. Women are talking about their grievances, young people are talking about their grievances. Everybody’s shouting out loud.” |
| Others are more cautious, however. They point out that Jammeh won with 72% of the vote in the 2011 election and question whether a significant drop in his support is likely. His orderly rallies attracted thousands. | Others are more cautious, however. They point out that Jammeh won with 72% of the vote in the 2011 election and question whether a significant drop in his support is likely. His orderly rallies attracted thousands. |
| “He gives us free education. Everything is free in the Gambia,” shouted teenage girls from Banjul High, campaigning in green T-shirts emblazoned with the president’s face. | “He gives us free education. Everything is free in the Gambia,” shouted teenage girls from Banjul High, campaigning in green T-shirts emblazoned with the president’s face. |
| Indeed, education and healthcare are free, but the school books and drugs prescribed are frequently either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. | Indeed, education and healthcare are free, but the school books and drugs prescribed are frequently either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. |
| Each election year, under the gaze of observers and media, the government allows the opposition relative freedom for two weeks. But this is seen as a mere show, as for the rest of the five years between elections, journalists and opposition politicians are arrested, jailed, tortured and killed. | Each election year, under the gaze of observers and media, the government allows the opposition relative freedom for two weeks. But this is seen as a mere show, as for the rest of the five years between elections, journalists and opposition politicians are arrested, jailed, tortured and killed. |
| Human rights activists worry that if Jammeh wins again, reprisals will come later, when the world is not watching. | Human rights activists worry that if Jammeh wins again, reprisals will come later, when the world is not watching. |
| “For far too long the Gambia has not been of interest to anybody,” said Amnesty International’s west African researcher, Sabrina Mahtani. “It’s a tiny country with very little strategic value. The international community needs to do more – it’s been 22 years of business as usual.” | “For far too long the Gambia has not been of interest to anybody,” said Amnesty International’s west African researcher, Sabrina Mahtani. “It’s a tiny country with very little strategic value. The international community needs to do more – it’s been 22 years of business as usual.” |
| Observers from the EU and Ecowas, the Economic Community of West African States, have been denied entry this year, though the African Union has been allowed to send some. | Observers from the EU and Ecowas, the Economic Community of West African States, have been denied entry this year, though the African Union has been allowed to send some. |
| A month ago, Jammeh announced the country would leave the international criminal court, following South Africa and Burundi out of an institution that African leaders say is racist. He pulled the Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, and last year he declared the country an Islamic republic. | A month ago, Jammeh announced the country would leave the international criminal court, following South Africa and Burundi out of an institution that African leaders say is racist. He pulled the Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013, and last year he declared the country an Islamic republic. |
| “What he wants is just to isolate us and separate us more,” said Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the architect of the opposition coalition, wearing a flowing grey headwrap to show her allegiance to it. “He’s always been like that. He hid it more before. But now he’s a wounded lion and unfortunately he doesn’t have anybody to bite.” | “What he wants is just to isolate us and separate us more,” said Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the architect of the opposition coalition, wearing a flowing grey headwrap to show her allegiance to it. “He’s always been like that. He hid it more before. But now he’s a wounded lion and unfortunately he doesn’t have anybody to bite.” |
| Jammeh is the only successful businessman here. The economy is declining by the day | Jammeh is the only successful businessman here. The economy is declining by the day |
| She said Jammeh had driven the country into the ground. “There is abject poverty – 85% of the Gambia’s 1.8 million are living below the poverty line. | She said Jammeh had driven the country into the ground. “There is abject poverty – 85% of the Gambia’s 1.8 million are living below the poverty line. |
| “He’s the only successful businessman here. The economy is declining by the day.” | “He’s the only successful businessman here. The economy is declining by the day.” |
| However, she said, “fear has faded”, and people were feeling emboldened to speak out. | However, she said, “fear has faded”, and people were feeling emboldened to speak out. |
| “Jammeh never gave us what we wanted, but I just know Barrow will be different. He’s listening to us,” said Haddy Ceesay, 25, who had been looking for work for the five years since she left school but, in a country with a youth unemployment rate of at least 38%, has found nothing. | “Jammeh never gave us what we wanted, but I just know Barrow will be different. He’s listening to us,” said Haddy Ceesay, 25, who had been looking for work for the five years since she left school but, in a country with a youth unemployment rate of at least 38%, has found nothing. |
| As a result, the Gambia is losing a large proportion of its youth to Europe. More than 10,000 Gambians have arrived in Italy this year. Thousands of others who have tried and been sent back, or died along the perilous “back way” across the Sahara. | As a result, the Gambia is losing a large proportion of its youth to Europe. More than 10,000 Gambians have arrived in Italy this year. Thousands of others who have tried and been sent back, or died along the perilous “back way” across the Sahara. |
| “I’d rather fight in my country than die on the back way,” said Alagie Blajo, 27. “Things are getting out of hand. The government has been failing for 10 years, but this year, things are getting worse.” | “I’d rather fight in my country than die on the back way,” said Alagie Blajo, 27. “Things are getting out of hand. The government has been failing for 10 years, but this year, things are getting worse.” |
| Like many coalition supporters, Blajo said if Jammeh was declared the winner, the people would not accept the result. | Like many coalition supporters, Blajo said if Jammeh was declared the winner, the people would not accept the result. |
| “We’ll send him out without violence, but if necessary, we will be ready to die,” he said. “There’s no way he can win this election.” | “We’ll send him out without violence, but if necessary, we will be ready to die,” he said. “There’s no way he can win this election.” |