African Studies
Utafiti: Journal of African Perspectives
Call for Papers: Utafiti is inviting you to submit your manuscript – any topic in the humanities - for consideration in the next issues.
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The five-party coalition, the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD), which was formed in 2005 to contest the 2006 presidential elections, disintegrated on 1 February, following Ousainou Darboe's resignation from the executive. Darboe resigned over perceived hostility from other NADD executive members. This was a major disappointment to Gambians, albeit not a surprising one given the differences in political interests, ideology and personality among the leaders of the NADD executive. Another event that had an impact on the presidential election was the allegedly foiled coup attempt on 21 March, which shook the confidence of President Jammeh and his ruling APRC (Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction) to the core. It also set off a wave of arrests and alleged killings of coup leaders and civilian accomplices. Consequently, when elections were advanced to 22 September from their anticipated date in October, President Jammeh won a third five-year term, beating a poorly financed and fragmented coalition. Jammeh's victory was aided by anger and apathy of voters over the NADD's break-up as well as by the benefits of the incumbency. In addition, the run-up to the presidential vote was marred by violence and intimidation of the opposition and its supporters.