1996 Gambian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Gambia on 29 September 1996. The first since the 1994 military coup led by Yahya Jammeh, they were also the first elections to be held under the new constitution, and the first presidential elections held separately from parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was exceptionally high, with 88% of the 446,541 registered voters voting.
 |
|---|
| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Gambia |
| Constitution |
 The Gambia portal |
Despite originally stating that he did not intend to run, Jammeh entered the race shortly before the elections. He emerged victorious with 55.8% of the vote, winning the most votes in every district except Mansa Konko (where UDP candidate Ousainou Darboe was the most voted-for).
The elections were criticised as unfair due to government crackdowns on journalists and opposition leaders at the time.[1][2]
Results
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yahya Jammeh | Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction | 220,011 | 55.77 | |
| Ousainou Darboe | United Democratic Party | 141,387 | 35.84 | |
| Hamat Bah | National Reconciliation Party | 21,759 | 5.52 | |
| Sidia Jatta | People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism | 11,337 | 2.87 | |
| Total | 394,494 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 394,494 | 99.99 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 43 | 0.01 | ||
| Total votes | 394,537 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 446,541 | 88.35 | ||
| Source: African Elections Database | ||||
The number of invalid votes was extremely low due to the country's unique voting system of putting marbles into drums, which meant that almost no votes were rejected.
References
- Wright, Donald (2010). The World and a Very Small Place in Africa: A History of Globalization in Niumi, The Gambia (third ed.). Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7656-2483-3.
- French, Howard W. (September 28, 1996). "Military Ruler in Gambia Defeats Rivals in Election". The New York Times.