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Gambian President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party is short of an absolute majority in the 58-seat chamber, election results show.
President Barrow’s party has won a narrow victory in legislative elections, but fell short of securing the majority needed to govern the country alone.
The National People’s Party won 19 of the 53 contested parliamentary seats, overturning the main opposition United Democratic Party’s (UDP) majority, according to results published by The Gambia’s independent electoral commission yesterday.
The president can designate the five other members of parliament, including its speaker, who will be selected from his party in the coming days.
However, Barrow’s party is short of an absolute majority in the 58-seat chamber.
The UDP claimed 15 seats and independents arrived in third place with 11, according to the results.
Barrow won a second term in office after securing 53 percent of the vote in a presidential election late last year.
His first unexpected victory in the 2016 presidential election ended more than 20 years of rule under Yahya Jammeh.
Unlike the December 2021 poll, turnout at the legislative elections was low, according to local media. — Al Jazeera.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter