Panafrican News Agency

Gambians start campaigns ahead of council elections

Banjul, Gambia (PANA) – Gambia’s electoral body on Wednesday declared the start of formal campaign process in the country ahead of the West African country’s April 12 council elections.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the nomination process is over and some 409 candidates will contest the 120 available area council seats across the Gambia.

The electoral office also disclosed that two candidates, Sainey Jarjue of Kusamai ward, and Tumani Trawalley of Kachang ward, have been duly elected unopposed since no one else was nominated in their respective wards at the close of nominations.

Meanwhile, Gambia’s biggest party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), has nominated 19 candidates for different wards in Kanifing Municipality which has the largest municipal council in the Gambia.

The opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) also nominated nine candidates from the 19 wards within the Kanifing Municipality to contest in the coming April local government election.

Other parties, including former ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) of ex-president Yahya Jammeh, have also put up candidates for the different wards in the Kanifing Municipality.

The coming local government election completes Gambia’s current electoral cycle which started with the presidential election of December 2016, followed by April 2017 parliamentary election.
-0- PANA MLJ/VAO 21March2018