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Talks of political alliances dominated the Gambian public space as the Independent Electoral Commission (iec) scaled up its preparation for the 4 December presidential election. President Adama Barrow’s launching of his National People’s Party (npp) ultimately severed his relationship with the United Democratic Party (udp) which brought him to political prominence. Notwithstanding the mushrooming of the number of parties, only six contested the election. The official release of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (trrc) report gave respite to some victims of human rights abuses during the high-handed Yahya Jammeh’s administration. Despite critical cries of corruption in high places, only one case was substantiated. The Freedom House corruption index rank was the same as that of 2020. During the period under review, the judiciary and the legislature were functional and law enforcement officers maintained order in isolated instances of breach of peace. A number of accredited diplomats presented letters of credence. On the whole, the country remained characteristically calm.
With fading memories of the Jammeh administration, Gambians have been reconciling themselves to evolving realities. The parliamentary elections of 2022 attest to the evolution of a new dispensation which has replaced the old order with new political actors. While the populace anxiously looked forward to the implementation of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (trrc) recommendations, society remained characteristically calm despite occasional cross-border incursions perpetrated by the armed secessionist movement in southern Senegal. After taking his second oath of office, President Adama Barrow seemed to be getting accustomed to the business of governance. Notwithstanding the Freedom House Human Rights Report, there were still cries of alleged unprecedented unwholesome financial practices in high places. The ripple effects of the conflict in Ukraine on the price of essential commodities was being grappled with, coupled with the waning effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Adama Barrow’s reneging on his promise to relinquish office at the end of a three-year transitional mandate sparked the 16 December 2019 demonstration staged by the ‘Three Year Jotna’ (tyj) movement. Despite the ensuing protests in early 2020 over the president’s decision, the country remained characteristically calm. With the 2021 presidential election at hand, and the dissolution of the coalition that brought Adama Barrow to power, there were new arrangements to form future alliances. The outbreak of Covid-19 in March caused changes in the budgetary allocations approved by the House of Assembly (ha). Funds were channelled from low-priority areas to augment the health sector, while the Foreign Ministry played a pivotal role in coordinating foreign assistance and procuring materials to address the problems presented by Covid-19. Meanwhile, the people anxiously awaited the benefits that the post-Jammeh era had in store.