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The Gambia bans international calls and internet as voters go to polls The Gambia bans international calls and internet as voters go to polls
(about 1 hour later)
The internet, international phone calls and demonstrations have been banned in the Gambia as voters go to the polls for an election that poses the first real threat to President Yahya Jammeh after more than two decades in power.The internet, international phone calls and demonstrations have been banned in the Gambia as voters go to the polls for an election that poses the first real threat to President Yahya Jammeh after more than two decades in power.
The election involves voters placing a marble in a coloured drum representing their chosen candidate. Nearly 900,000 people are eligible to vote at 1,400 polling stations across the small west African country. Jammeh faces unprecedented opposition after a coalition of parties agreed to unite behind a single opposition candidate. Businessman Adama Barrow fired up voters in the past two weeks, the only period allowed for campaigning before the poll.
Jammeh, who won the preceding election with nearly three-quarters of votes, says another victory is all but assured with divine intervention. But the controls on communications and pre-emptive ban on protests are fuelling fears of voting day fraud, and worries there could be violence in its aftermath.
But he faces unprecedented opposition after a coalition of parties agreed to unite behind a single opposition candidate. Businessman Adama Barrow has fired up voters in the past two weeks, the only period allowed for campaigning before the poll. Gambia’s unique election method involves voters placing a marble in a coloured drum representing their chosen candidate. Nearly 900,000 people are eligible to vote at 1,400 polling stations across the small west African country.
The Gambian leader, who has vowed to rule for a billion years and won the previous election with nearly three-quarters of votes, says another victory is all but assured with divine intervention. He refused to answer questions about whether he would concede if he lost.
“We will win the biggest landslide this country has ever seen, if I wasn’t confident we would win, I wouldn’t have voted,” he told journalists as he headed back to an armoured vehicle after casting his vote at a cricket ground in the capital.
Local observers say they have said they have been unable to track polling stations because of the internet outage, as they were planning to get results by Whatsapp. Activist Jeggan Grey-Johnson called the outages a “deliberate attempt by the incumbent to control any sort of information sharing”.
There are a few African Union observers at the election, but none from the European Union or the west African regional bloc, Ecowas.
Connections may not be restored until Sunday, a security source told Reuters, although results are expected early Friday morning. That could thwart any opposition attempts to contest the outcome or organise challenges.
Governments in Chad, Congo-Brazzaville and Uganda have previously severed internet connections around election day, to boost control.
The Gambia is dependent on a mix of tourism and mostly subsistence agriculture, with nearly half the population below the poverty line. Thousands of young people risk the dangerous sea journey to Europe each year, with the goalkeeper of the national women’s football team the most recent casualty.The Gambia is dependent on a mix of tourism and mostly subsistence agriculture, with nearly half the population below the poverty line. Thousands of young people risk the dangerous sea journey to Europe each year, with the goalkeeper of the national women’s football team the most recent casualty.
Barrow has promised to revive the economy, end human rights abuses and even step down three years into an official five-year term, to boost democracy.Barrow has promised to revive the economy, end human rights abuses and even step down three years into an official five-year term, to boost democracy.
The country’s youth, desperate for jobs, largely literate and armed with information from apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, have been galvanised by the possibility of change and Barrow’s message. The country’s youth, desperate for jobs, largely literate and armed with information from apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook, have been galvanised by his message and the possibility of change.
The internet and phone shutdown, which began the evening before the vote, may have been aimed at suppressing those networks.
Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994 and has won every election since after changing the constitution to remove term limits. He has skilfully exploited tribal and other divides among multiple opposition parties in past elections, and this is the first time he will face a single main challenger.Jammeh came to power in a coup in 1994 and has won every election since after changing the constitution to remove term limits. He has skilfully exploited tribal and other divides among multiple opposition parties in past elections, and this is the first time he will face a single main challenger.
He still has some real support and the green flags of his party flutter on many houses along the main road through the country, but it is hard to gauge how much of this is because of his autocratic rule.He still has some real support and the green flags of his party flutter on many houses along the main road through the country, but it is hard to gauge how much of this is because of his autocratic rule.
Journalists and political opponents are regularly detained, tortured and killed, most recently after protests this spring calling for reforms.Journalists and political opponents are regularly detained, tortured and killed, most recently after protests this spring calling for reforms.
Two main opposition party members died in detention, and 15 others have been jailed for three years, but opposition leader Omar Amadou Jallow, with the People’s Progressive party, says despite that clampdown this is the year for change.Two main opposition party members died in detention, and 15 others have been jailed for three years, but opposition leader Omar Amadou Jallow, with the People’s Progressive party, says despite that clampdown this is the year for change.
“For 22 years we have realised that Gambia has been turned into a prison; the arrests, the tensions, the torture and many of our people have gone into exile,” he told Associated Press. “We are going to give people their freedoms, their liberties. That is more important than anything else.” “For 22 years we have realised that Gambia has been turned into a prison,” he told Associated Press. “We are going to give people their freedoms, their liberties. That is more important than anything else.”
Jammeh has made no secret of his desire to hold on to power, 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 desire to hold on to power, 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”.
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. He barred demonstrations before the vote “because those are the loopholes that are used to destabilise African governments”, he said, but opposition supporters have already warned they will not accept a stolen election.
He has barred demonstrations already “because those are the loopholes that are used to destabilise African governments”, he said. But there are fears of violence if Barrow loses the election and opposition supporters feel results are rigged. “The government has been failing for 10 years, but this year, things are getting worse,” opposition supporter Alagie Blajo, 27, said on the eve of the vote. “We’ll send him out without violence but, if necessary, we will be ready to die. There’s no way he can win.”
“Things are getting out of hand. The government has been failing for 10 years, but this year, things are getting worse,” opposition supporter Alagie Blajo, 27, said on the eve of the vote. Human rights activists have also raised fears that if Jammeh wins again, reprisals for opposition will come later, when the world is not watching.
“We’ll send him out without violence but, if necessary, we will be ready to die. There’s no way he can win this election.”
Human rights activists have also raised fears that if Jammeh wins again, reprisals will come later, when the world is not watching. There are a few African Union observers at the election, but none from the European Union or the west African regional bloc, Ecowas.