WHEN A POLITICAL PARTY SEEKS TO ANNOUNCE THE ELECTION RESULT: A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE GAMBIA’S ELECTORAL ORDER

Reports that the United Democratic Party (UDP) intends to announce its own results in the December 2026 presidential election before the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) issues the official declaration should concern every Gambian committed to constitutional democracy.

This is not merely a dispute about which institution can count votes more quickly. It concerns the legally authorized body responsible for declaring the winner of a national election.

That distinction is essential.

Political parties are entitled—and expected—to deploy polling agents, obtain copies of polling-station results, verify figures, and maintain independent tallies. The IEC explains that votes are counted at polling stations, that candidates’ agents receive copies of the relevant forms, and that results are subsequently transmitted and consolidated through the electoral system.

However, access to polling-station results does not confer constitutional authority to declare the president-elect of The Gambia.

That responsibility belongs to the electoral institution established to administer and supervise elections.

The IEC operates under the Constitution, the Elections Act, and other applicable electoral laws. Its official records also show that presidential results are issued as IEC election results.

Accordingly, if a political party announces that it will publish presidential results before the IEC, Gambians are justified in asking: What is the purpose of this action?

If the intention is simply to release the party’s internal figures, then those figures should be identified accurately as the UDP’s tally.

If, however, the objective is to declare a winner before the legally mandated electoral authority does so, that would represent a deeply troubling departure from democratic practice.

**A POLITICAL PARTY IS NOT THE IEC**

The Gambia cannot have two rival election authorities.

There cannot be one result announced by the IEC and another announced by a political party, leaving citizens and supporters to choose which declaration they accept.

That is not democratic governance. It is a formula for confusion, confrontation, and potentially serious instability.

The IEC’s published procedures indicate that polling-station counting is only one stage of the process. Results proceed to collation centers, where figures are compiled, reviewed, and transmitted through the electoral structure.

This is one of the reasons an independent electoral commission exists.

If each political party could interpret the national figures independently and present its interpretation as the official election result, the need for an electoral commission would be undermined.

**WHERE IS THE LEGAL ANALYSIS?**

The UDP’s reported position is particularly disappointing given its reputation for possessing significant legal expertise. Its leader and presidential candidate, lawyer Ousainou Darboe, is an experienced legal practitioner.

Gambians may therefore reasonably expect the party to demonstrate respect for institutional limits and established legal procedures.

If the UDP believes that the Elections Act authorizes it to formally declare the national presidential result before the IEC, it should identify the specific statutory provision that grants such power.

If the party believes the IEC has acted unlawfully or improperly, constitutional and legal avenues exist for challenging the Commission’s conduct.

That is the proper process in a mature democracy.

A party does not replace an official referee simply because it disagrees with a decision. It challenges that decision according to the rules.

Dissatisfaction with previous election results cannot justify the creation of a parallel electoral authority.

**COUNTING AT POLLING STATIONS DOES NOT AUTHORIZE A PARTY TO DECLARE THE PRESIDENT**

The claim that The Gambia’s system of counting votes at polling stations gives political parties the right to declare the presidential winner requires careful legal examination.

Counting at the polling station enhances transparency. It enables agents and observers to witness the process and obtain documentary evidence of the figures.

It does not, by itself, convert every political party into the constitutional institution responsible for announcing the national result.

The distinction is substantial.

A party may state: “Based on the polling-station forms in our possession, our tally records the following figures for Candidate 

That is a party tally.

It is fundamentally different from declaring: “Candidate X has won the presidential election of The Gambia.”

The latter statement invokes constitutional and statutory authority that belongs to the legally designated electoral body.

THE PRINCIPLE APPLIES TO EVERY POLITICAL ACTOR

This concern is not directed at the UDP alone. It applies equally to the governing National People’s Party, opposition parties, and independent candidates.

If the NPP announced a presidential winner before the IEC, that conduct should be condemned. If the UDP did so, it should also be condemned. The same standard must apply to every other political organization.

Institutions must take precedence over partisan interests.

Democracy cannot endure if political parties respect electoral institutions only when those institutions produce outcomes they favor.

The IEC has published the 2026–2027 electoral calendar, which schedules the presidential election for December 5, 2026. The country is therefore approaching an election in which political actors should reduce tensions, reinforce public confidence, and reassure citizens—not establish competing sources of authority

A MESSAGE TO

 THE GAMBIA’S YOUTH

The most important warning concerns young Gambians.

Political leaders will issue statements, parties will organize rallies, and politicians will debate on radio and television. They may also make competing claims about victory and defeat.

When political rhetoric becomes inflammatory, however, it is often ordinary young people who bear the consequences. They may be drawn into street confrontations, injured, arrested, or involved in the destruction of their own communities.

Political leaders may return safely to their homes, while young people remain exposed to the aftermath.

No political party—whether the UDP, the NPP, or any other organization—should be allowed to turn young Gambians against one another.

Do not fight your neighbor because of a different political preference. Do not destroy property because a politician claims that your party has won. Do not attack the police or supporters of another party.

Most importantly, no Gambian life should be lost over an election result that can be contested through lawful procedures.

THE GAMBIA CANNOT AFFORD COMPETING CLAIMS OF VICTORY

The Gambia has made significant progress and should not jeopardize its democratic stability.

The country has experienced sufficient political tension in its history. It should not create circumstances in which one party announces one winner, another announces a different winner, supporters take to the streets, and citizens wait anxiously for the legally responsible institution to issue the official result.

Such disputes can quickly develop into security crises.

The 2026 election should focus on competing ideas, policies, leadership, and the confidence of the Gambian electorate—not on which political actor can declare “victory” first.

To the UDP, the principle is straightforward: publish an independent tally if you choose, but do not present it as the official national result or assume powers reserved by law for the IEC.