By Omar Bah
A report on proactive disclosure of information and elections in The Gambia, commissioned by the Centre for Human Rights and funded by Article 19, has recommended that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) ensure the Gambian diaspora votes in 2026.
Supreme Court ruled that pursuant to section 39 of the Constitution, every Gambian, including those residing outside the jurisdiction, is entitled to be registered and to vote in an election.
In January 2021, Gambians from the diaspora took the government and the IEC to court over the disenfranchisement of more than 200,000 Gambians living abroad. In March of the same year, the Supreme Court ruled that pursuant to section 39 of the Constitution, every Gambian, including those residing outside the jurisdiction, is entitled to be registered and to vote in an election. However, the IEC refused to abide by this ruling and went ahead with a voter registration exercise at the national level in June and July 2021, citing a lack of resources. About 987,484 Gambians had registered at the end of July 2021, which is low given that the number of registered voters was 886,578 in 2016. This means that only about 100,000 more people registered five years later
It added that the IEC must adhere to and implement relevant court judgments.
