UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BANJUL 000878

PARIS, LONDON, BRUSSELS AND ROME FOR ARFICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KDEM PREL GA
SUBJECT: GAMBIAN ELECTION OFFICIAL RESULTS - JAMMEH
WINS, OPPOSITION CONCEDES

SUMMARY: GAMBIAN PRESIDENT YAHYA A.J.J. JAMMEH WAS
REELECTED WITH 52.96 PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN THE
OCTOBER 18, 2001 POLL. THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL
COMMISSION (IEC) ANNOUNCED THE OFFICIAL RESULTS AT
1830 LOCAL TIME ON OCTOBER 19, 2001. MAJOR
CHALLENGER OUSAINOU DARBOE (WHO POLLED 32.67 PERCENT
OF THE VOTE) CALLED PRESIDENT JAMMEH DURING THE
AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 19 TO CONCEDE DEFEAT.
INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS STATED THAT THEY
WERE `SATISFIED' WITH THE CONDUCT OF THE VOTE. END
SUMMARY.

- OUR DEPLOYMENT
- STATISTICS
- THE MECHANICS OF THE VOTE
- FONI FUN: TALES FROM THE OPPOSITION-FREE ZONE
- WEST COAST
- NO INFILTRATORS IN ILLIASA
- KWINELLA SERVES AS KIANG CENTRAL NEXUS
- ALBREDA, JUFFUREH AND BINTA
- THE MECHANICS OF THE COUNT
- WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS SAID
- STUNNINGLY GRACIOUS MAJOR OPPOSITION CONCESSION


1. WE DEPLOYED A TEAM OF SIX IEC-ACCREDITED
ELECTION OBSERVERS FOR THE OCTOBER 18 POLL. WE
CONTRIBUTED OUR CDA, IROG, GSO, OUR PROGRAM
COORDINATOR AND OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT. IN THEIR
CONTINUING TRADITION OF UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR
US, EMBASSY DAKAR CONTRIBUTED THE DATT. CDA AND OUR
POLITICAL ASSISTANT COVERED THE WEST COAST AND THE
INDEPENDENCE STADIUM COUNTING CENTER IN BAKAU
(BANJUL) ON OCTOBER 18. IROG COVERED THE FIVE FONI
DIVISIONS AND THE BWIAM COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER
16-19. GSO COVERED THE THREE KIANG DIVISIONS AND
THE KWINELLA COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER 16-19.
THE DATT COVERED ILLIASA DIVISION AND THE FARAFENNI
COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER 17-19. OUR PROGRAM
COORDINATOR COVERED BIJILO (THE SUBURBAN BANJUL
POLLING STATION THAT HAD THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF
VOTERS REGISTERED IN A SINGLE POLLING STATION IN THE
COUNTRY), AND CROSSED THE RIVER TO COVER ALBREDA,
JUFFUREH AND BINTA KINTEH ON OCTOBER 18. EACH TEAM
PICKED ONE POLLING STATION TO OBSERVE OPEN AND
CLOSE, AND THEN TO FOLLOW TO THE RESPECTIVE COUNTING
CENTER.


2. OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE 509,395 REGISTERED VOTERS
VOTED DURING THE OCTOBER 18 POLL. THESE VOTERS
UTILIZED 811 POLLING STATIONS. VOTING TOOK PLACE

FROM 0700-1600. THE VOTES CAST IN THESE 811 POLLING
STATIONS WERE COUNTED IN GROUPS CORRESPONDING TO THE
48 CONSTITUENCIES IN THE COUNTRY, AT 28 COUNTING
CENTERS. THE RESULTS FROM THESE COUNTING CENTERS
WERE TRANSMITTED TO 7 COLLATION CENTERS
CORRESPONDING TO THE 7 ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS IN THE
COUNTRY. EACH COLLATION CENTER REPORTED THEIR
RESULTS TO IEC HEADQUARTERS IN BANJUL, WHERE THEY
WERE ANNOUNCED AS RECEIVED BY IEC DIRECTOR GABRIEL
ROBERTS. PRESIDENT JAMMEH AND THE APRC RECEIVED
242,302 VOTES (52,96 PERCENT), OUSANINOU DARBOE AND
THE UDP COALITION RECEIVED 149,448 VOTES (32.67
PERCENT), HAMAT BAH AND THE NRP RECEIVED 35,671
VOTES (7.8 PERCENT), SHERIFF DIBBA AND THE NCP
RECEIVED 17,271 VOTES (3.78 PERCENT) AND SIDIA
JATTA AND THE PDOIS RECEIVED 13,841 VOTES (3.03
PERCENT).


3. THE FOLLOWING PERSONS WERE AUTHORIZED TO BE
PRESENT IN A POLLING STATION DURING THE POLL:
POLLING STATION STAFF (CONSISTING OF A PRESIDING
OFFICER (PO), AN ASSISTANT PRESIDING OFFICER (APO)
AND TWO POLICE OFFICERS ASSIGNED AS SECURITY),
POLLING AGENTS FROM ALL FIVE POLITICAL PARTIES,
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS AND CREDENTIALED PRESS.
UPON ARRIVAL BEFORE THE 0700 STARTING TIME, ANY OF
THE ABOVEMENTIONED PRESENT WERE TO INSPECT THE
VOTING DRUMS. EACH DRUM WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN TO
SHOW THAT IT WAS EMPTY. THE ASSISTANT PRESIDING
OFFICER THEN PLACED SAND IN THE VOTING DRUM, FOR
STABILITY. WHILE OTHER POLLING STATION STAFF AND
OTHER AUTHORIZED PERSONS WATCHED, THE PRESIDING
OFFICER SEALED EACH VOTING CAN WITH NUMBERED RED
PLASTIC SEALS AND LINKED ALL OF THE CANS TOGETHER
WITH A METAL WIRE. THE CANS WERE LINKED TOGETHER IN
ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY NAME OF THE CANDIDATE (BAH OF
THE NRP, DARBOE OF THE UDP COALITION, DIBBA OF THE
NCP, JAMMEH OF THE APRC AND JATTA OF THE PDOIS).
VOTING OFFICIALS RECORDED THE NUMBERS ON THE SEALS
BEFORE THE VOTING CANS WERE TAKEN INSIDE THE VOTING
ROOM.

AS PER IEC REGULATIONS, THE VOTING CANS WERE COLOR-
CODED ACCORDING TO POLITICAL PARTY (UDP YELLOW, APRC
GREEN, NRP BLUE, PDOIS BROWN AND NCP WHITE).
PICTURES OF THE POLITICAL CANDIDATES WERE AFFIXED TO
THE VOTING CANS ALONG WITH THEIR NAMES AND
CORRESPONDING POLITICAL PARTY SYMBOLS.

THE ACTUAL VOTING AREA WAS A ROOM OR AN ENCLOSED
AREA OUTSIDE THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR VOTING
PURPOSES. THE VOTING CANS WERE PLACED ON A TABLE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA. IN ORDER TO
MAINTAIN PRIVACY DURING VOTING THERE WERE SHEETS
PLACED ON THE WINDOWS AND THE ENTRANCE OF ROOMS, OR
POLLING STATION STAFF GUARDED THE ENTRANCE TO THE
ENCLOSED AREA.

ONCE A VOTER ARRIVED, S/HE PRESENTED HIS/HER VOTER
REGISTRATION CARD TO THE APO. THE APO CALLED OUT
THE VOTER'S NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER. THE
POLLING AGENTS CONFIRMED THAT THE PERSON WAS ON THE
POLLING STATION REGISTRATION LIST PROVIDED BY THE
IEC. THE VOTER'S INDEX FINGER WAS DIPPED INTO
PURPLE INK. THE APO GAVE THE PO THE VOTER'S VOTER
REGISTRATION CARD. THE PO VERIFIED THAT THE PICTURE
ON THE CARD CORRESPONDED TO THE PERSON PRESENT.
AFTER RE-CONFIRMING THE VOTER'S IDENTITY, THE PO
GAVE THE VOTER A YELLOW MARBLE AND ALLOWED HIM/HER
TO ENTER THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA. THE APO, PO
AND POLLING AGENTS WERE GENERALLY SEATED NEXT TO THE
ENTRANCE OF THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA. VOTERS
PLACED THEIR MARBLE IN A TUBE ON THE CAN
CORRESPONDING TO THEIR CANDIDATE. AS THE MARBLE
WENT DOWN THE TUBE INTO THE CAN, IT RANG A BELL,
SIGNIFYING THAT A VOTE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CAST.
THE PO LISTENED FOR THE BELL TO RING WHILE THE OTHER
VOTING OFFICIALS CONTINUED TO PROCESS PEOPLE IN THE
LINE. AFTER THE BELL RANG IN THE VOTING
ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA, THE VOTER EXITED, AND THE PO
RETURNED HIS/HER VOTER REGISTRATION CARD. THE PO
THEN INSTRUCTED THE VOTER TO LEAVE THE ROOM/AREA.


4. IROG NOTED THAT IEC OFFICIALS AND PARTY AGENTS IN
THE FONI REGION SEEMED TO BE DOING THEIR BEST TO
KEEP VOTING ORDERLY DESPITE THEIR EGREGIOUS LACK OF
PREPARATION, ORGANIZATION, TRAINING, COMMUNICATION,
AND MATERIALS. WIDESPREAD INCONSISTENCIES
UNDERMINED THE SECURITY AND UNIFORMITY OF THE
PROCESS. THE AREA RETURNING OFFICERS (ARO), WHO
WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE MATERIALS AND DEFINITIVE
ANSWERS, SEEMED TO BE SPREAD TOO THIN OVER LARGE
AREAS, AS THEY WERE NEVER AROUND WHEN THE POS NEEDED
THEIR SERVICES.

AMONG 15 POLLING STATIONS, IROG NOTED AT LEAST THREE
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CONTROVERSIAL RULE
ON THE PROCEDURE FOR VOTERS WHO HAD CARDS BUT WERE
NOT ON THE REGISTRATION LIST. AT LEAST 5 POLLING
STATIONS WERE NOT ABLE COMPLETELY SEAL THE BALLOT
DRUMS. AT THE SIBANOR COUNTING CENTER AT BWIAM, ONE
CONSTITUENCY FOLLOWED IEC RULES TO THE LETTER, WHILE
THE AROS FOR THE OTHER CONSTITUENCY DID NOT SEEM TO
KNOW ANY OF THE RULES FOR COUNTING.

VOTERS WERE PATIENT AND CALM IN LINE AND IN POLLING
STATIONS DESPITE EXTREME HEAT, WAITING PERIODS OF UP
TO FOUR HOURS, AND CONFUSION ABOUT RULES AND
PROCEDURES. DESPITE THE OBVIOUS HOLES IN THE VOTING
PROCESS, IROG SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT THOSE HOLES WERE
MALICIOUSLY EXPLOITED TO MANIPULATE THE RESULTS.

THE ATMOSPHERE IN FONI WAS SO STUBBORNLY PRO-JAMMEH
THAT IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL THAT AN OPPOSITION SUPPORTER
WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE VOICING HIS OPINION.
MOREOVER, KNOWING HOW MANY OF HIS FELLOW VILLAGERS
WOULD VOTE FOR JAMMEH, ANYONE VOTING FOR ANOTHER
CANDIDATE WOULD KNOW HIS SINGLE VOTE IN THE BALLOT
DRUM WOULD STAND OUT.


5. CDA AND OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT COVERED THE WEST
COAST (THE NICKNAME FOR THE GAMBIA'S WESTERN
DIVISION, AS WELL AS THE NAME OF THE GAMBIA'S MOST
POPULAR RADIO STATION, BROADCAST ON 95.3 FM), WHICH
INCLUDED POLLING STATIONS IN KANIFING, KOTU, KOLOLI,
LAMIN, BAKAU, CAPE POINT, BRUFUT, FAJARA, GUNJUR AND
KARTUNG ON OCTOBER 18. WE CHOSE THIS AREA BECAUSE
THERE WERE FEARS THAT FOREIGNERS OF PRESIDENT
JAMMEH'S DJOLA ETHNIC GROUP WOULD ATTEMPT TO USE
FALSE VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE FOR HIM IN
THESE POROUS BORDER AREAS.

GAMBIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY AND POLICE OFFICIALS HAD
ANNOUNCED THAT SOLDIERS WOULD BE CONFINED TO THEIR
BARRACKS ON OCTOBER 18 (SINCE SECURITY WOULD BE
PROVIDED BY THE POLICE), SO WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE
UNIFORMED SOLDIERS AT THE FAJARA, BAKAU AND CAPE
POINT POLLING STATIONS. INQUIRIES TO THE RESPECTIVE
COMMANDERS ELICITED THE INFORMATION THAT ANY SOLDIER
PRESENT AT A POLLING STATION WAS REGISTERED THERE
AND SOLELY AT THAT STATIONS TO VOTE. WE VERIFIED
THAT ALL THE SOLDIERS THAT WE SAW AT THE THREE
POLLING STATIONS WERE ALL REGISTERED VOTERS THAT ALL
VOTED AND LEFT PROMPTLY AFTER DOING SO.

THE IEC DID NOT REVERSE THEIR DECISION TO RESTRICT
VOTING TO VOTERS LISTED AT THEIR RESPECTIVE POLLING
STATION WHO HAD CORRESPONDING VOTER REGISTRATION
CARDS, ALTHOUGH THEY DID ALLOW IEC WORKERS WITH
VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE WHEREVER THEY WERE
ASSIGNED. AS A RESULT, WE DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE
OR RECEIVE ANY REPORTS OF FOREIGNERS USING FALSE
REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE. CDA NOTED SEVERAL WOMEN
IN LINE NURSING THEIR CHILDREN WHILE WAITING, AS
WELL AS SEVERAL VOTERS WHO STOOD ON LINE WITH THEIR
LIVESTOCK...


6. AS THE GAMBIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ANNOUNCED THAT
THEIR LAND BORDERS WOULD BE CLOSED FROM OCTOBER 17-
19, WE ASKED OUR DATT TO COVER ILLIASA DIVISION. AN
OPPOSITION STRONGHOLD AS WELL AS CONTAINING THE MAIN
UPCOUNTRY ROAD/FERRY CROSSING AT FARAFENNI, ILLIASA
ALSO HOSTS THE MAJOR UPCOUNTRY MILITARY BARRACKS AND
CUSTOMS POST. IN LINE WITH OUR OTHER OBSERVERS, THE
DATT NOTED THAT THE VOTING PROCESS WENT MORE OR LESS
SMOOTHLY, WITH HIGH VOTER TURNOUT AND VOTERS
PATIENTLY WAITING IN LONG LINES WHICH WERE IN
EVIDENCE BY 0615 IN THE MORNING. THE BORDER
REMAINED HERMETICALLY SEALED THROUGHOUT THE
ANNOUNCED PERIOD, FREEING THE NUMEROUS CUSTOMS
OFFICIALS IN THE REGION TO PERFORM THEIR CIVIC DUTY
WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING CALLED IN TO WORK. THE DATT
DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OR RECEIVE ANY REPORTS OF
FOREIGNERS USING FALSE REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE IN
THIS HEAVILY-TRANSITED AREA.


7. WE SENT OUR GSO TO THE OTHER OPPOSITION
STRONGHOLD OF KWINELLA, THE NEXUS OF KIANG CENTRAL
DIVISION. THERE WERE VASTLY MORE WOMEN VOTING IN
THIS DIVISION THAN MEN. THIS DISCREPANCY WAS
EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT MOST MEN IN THE DIVISION
WORKED IN THE GREATER BANJUL AREA, AND HAD CHANGED
THEIR REGISTRATION ACCORDINGLY. IN ADDITION TO
STRICTLY ADHERING TO VOTING PROCEDURES, OUR GSO
NOTED THAT EACH POLLING STATION HAD DESIGNATED ONE
OF THEIR POLICE OFFICERS TO ASSIST VOTERS WHO WERE
ELDERLY/DISABLED OR OTHERWISE NEEDED ASSISTANCE
TO/FROM (BUT NOT INTO) THE VOTING ROOM/AREA. HE SAW
NO OTHER OBSERVERS OR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES IN THE
POLLING STATIONS HE VISITED. GSO ALSO NOTED THAT
ALL VOTERS IN THIS AREA WERE DRESSED IN THEIR
FINEST, COMMENSURATE WITH THE IMPORTANCE THEY
ATTACHED TO THE OCCASION...


8. THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS AT BIJILO
EXCEEDED 1,000. TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LARGE NUMBER OF
VOTERS, THE IEC DECIDED TO CREATE TWO POLLING
STATIONS AT BIJILO PRIMARY SCHOOL. THE POLLING
STATIONS WERE LOCATED IN THE SAME SCHOOL BLOCK BUT
SEPARATED BY A FEW CLASSROOMS. OUR PROGRAM
COORDINATOR (PC) OBSERVED THAT VOTERS APPEARED
CONFUSED BY THIS ARRANGEMENT. THE FIRST VOTES AT
EACH POLLING STATION WERE CAST AFTER 0700, BUT
BEFORE 0800. SHE NOTED THAT VOTING WENT ON AT A
BRISK PACE UNTIL SHE LEFT AT 1015 TO TRAVEL TO
ALBREDA BY BOAT. SHE RETURNED TO BIJILO AT 1530 TO
OBSERVE THAT BOTH POLLING STATIONS CLOSED ON TIME.

ARRIVING AT THE ALBREDA DOCK AT 1200, OUR PC WAS
STRUCK BY THE SEA OF GREEN WHICH GREETED HER. THERE
WERE LARGE GREEN FLAGS FLYING IN FRONT OF HOUSES AND
SHOPS ALL THE WAY UP THE HILL TO THE POLLING
STATION. THE PERSON WHO GUIDED HER FROM THE DOCK TO
THE POLLING STATION VOLUNTEERED THAT ALBREDA AND
JUFFUREH WERE APRC STRONGHOLDS.

THE POLLING STATION (NORMALLY USED AS A COMMUNITY
HEALTH CENTER) WAS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS A VOTING
LOCATION. ONCE INSIDE THE COMPOUND, THE POLICE
ASSIGNED TO THIS POLLING STATION DIRECTED OUR PC TO
THE VOTING AREA. ALBREDA IS ONE OF THE FEW POLLING
STATIONS WHERE A TEAM MEMBER MET REPRESENTATIVES OF
ALL FIVE POLITICAL PARTIES. THE POLLING STAFF
APPEARED WELL ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT THEIR DUTIES
IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. IN RESPONSE TO HER
INQUIRY, POLLING STAFF STATED THAT VOTING HAD TAKEN
PLACE WITHOUT INCIDENT. VOTING BEGAN PROMPTLY AT
0700, AND ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LONG LINES, EVERYONE
COOPERATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS. STAFF HAD
NOT COME ACROSS ANY VOTERS WHO WERE NOT PROPERLY
REGISTERED TO VOTE. OUR PC WAS HEARTENED BY WHAT SHE
SAW AT THIS POLLING STATION.

BEFORE DEPARTING FROM THE ALBREDA DOCK, OUR PC
WALKED TO JUFFUREH (ABOUT 10 MINUTES AWAY) TO ELICIT
BINTA KINTEH'S THOUGHTS ON THE POLL. MS. KINTEH
CLAIMS TO BE THE OLDEST LIVING PERSON IN THE
ALBREDA/JUFFUREH AREA, AS WELL AS A RELATIVE OF
KUNTA KINTEH (OF `ROOTS' FAME) AND FORMER U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO THE GAMBIA GEORGE HALEY. MS. KINTEH
STATED THAT SHE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE
TO VOTE AND NOTED THAT SHE AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS HAD
VOTED EARLIER IN THE DAY (THEY DIDN'T SAY WHO THEY
HAD VOTED FOR). THEY PROUDLY DISPLAYED THEIR PURPLE
FINGERS TO OUR PC TO PROVE IT. MS. KINTEH
ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT SHE FELT THAT VOTING IN HER
AREA HAD TAKEN PLACE IN A FAIR AND PEACEFUL MANNER.
OUR PC AND MS. KINTEH ENDED THEIR CONVERSATION BY
WISHING EACH OTHER WELL.


9. THE SURPRISING EASE OF THE POLL DID NOT EXTEND TO
THE COUNT. POLLING STATIONS OBSERVED STOPPED
ACCEPTING NEW VOTERS MORE OR LESS AT OR AROUND 1600.
HOWEVER, THEY THEN ALLOWED ANY VOTER PRESENT TO
COMPLETE THE VOTING PROCESS, WHICH, IN SOME CASES,
TOOK UP TO THREE MORE HOURS. THE PO, APO AND
POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS THEN CARRIED THE VOTING CANS
OUTSIDE THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA. IN THE
PRESENCE OF THE POLICE, POLLING STAFF AND ANY OTHER
AUTHORIZED PERSONS PRESENT, THE PO SEALED THE VOTING
CANS WITH A WHITE CARD AND A NUMBERED RED PLASTIC
SEALS (FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE ON EACH CAN). AT THIS
POINT, THE PO BEGAN TO TALLY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO HAD CAST BALLOTS. THE PO CHECKED THE NUMBER OF
MARBLES REMAINING AGAINST THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
MARBLES ISSUED FOR THE POLLING STATION BY THE IEC.
THE PO ALSO CHECKED THE NUMBER OF MARBLES USED
AGAINST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THE APO MARKED ON THE
REGISTRATION LIST AS HAVING VOTED. THE POLITICAL
PARTY AGENTS ALSO CHECKED THEIR LISTS TO CONFIRM
THAT THE NUMBERS WERE THE SAME. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF
REGISTERED VOTERS VERSUS THE NO-SHOW VOTERS WAS ALSO
TALLIED. ONCE THIS PROCESS WAS CONCLUDED, POLLING
STAFF RECORDED ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION ON IEC
FORMS. THEN POLLING STAFF AND POLITICAL PARTY
AGENTS WAITED FOR THE IEC-ASSIGNED ARO TO COME TO
THE POLLING STATION WITH THE AUTHORIZED TRANSPORT TO
THE COUNTING CENTER.

ONCE THE ARO ARRIVED WITH APPROVED TRANSPORT (THE
EARLIEST THIS TOOK PLACE WAS AT 1745 AT CDA'S
POLLING STATION, WHERE VOTING ENDED ON SCHEDULE AT
1600), THE VOTING CANS WERE PLACED IN IT. THE CANS
WERE THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE RELEVANT COUNTING
CENTER IN THE SAME VEHICLE ACCOMPANIED BY ALL
POLLING STAFF, POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS THAT WERE
PRESENT (NORMALLY JUST FROM THE UDP AND APRC) AND
THE POLICE ASSIGNED TO THE POLLING STATION. THIS
PROCESS WAS PATHOLOGICALLY DISORGANIZED THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY, AND WAS THE MAJOR BASIS FOR THE MORE
THAN 24-HOUR DELAY IN ANNOUNCING THE FINAL ELECTION
RESULTS.

CDA FOLLOWED THE VOTING CANS FROM HER CHOSEN POLLING
STATION TO THEIR ASSIGNED COUNTING CENTER AT
INDEPENDENCE STADIUM IN BAKAU (BANJUL). HER POLLING
STATION WAS THE FIRST TO TURN OVER ITS CANS AT 1755.
THE PO (IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHER POLLING STAFF
AND ACCOMPANYING POLITICAL PARTY REPRESENTATIVES)
HANDED OVER THE VOTING CANS TO THE CONSTITUENCY IEC
RETURNING OFFICER.

ANOTHER MAJOR RESULTS-DELAYING FACTOR WAS THE FACT
THAT THE RETURNING OFFICERS REFUSED TO COUNT THE
RESULTS FROM POLLING STATIONS UNTIL ALL THE CANS
FROM EACH CONSTITUENCY WERE PRESENT, RATHER THAT
COUNT THEM AS THEY CAME IN. COUNTING FOR JESHWANG
DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL 2130, AFTER THE CANS FROM ALL
THE 24 POLLING STATIONS IN THE CONSTITUENCY ARRIVED.
COUNTING STARTED WITH THE CANS FROM CDA'S CHOSEN
POLLING STATION, SINCE THOSE CANS HAD BEEN TURNED
OVER FIRST. THE COUNTING PROCESS WAS SYSTEMATIC,
ORDERLY, TRANSPARENT AND ACCURATE, INCLUDED A
CHALLENGE FROM THE APRC PARTY REPRESENTATIVE
(LOOKING FOR 6 NON-EXISTENT ADDITIONAL VOTES) AND
ENDED AT 2200.

ONCE ALL OF THE POLLING STATIONS HAD BEEN COUNTED
(AT 1030 ON OCTOBER 19 FOR JESHWANG, SIMILARLY FOR
THE OTHERS OBSERVED BY THE TEAM), THE RESULTS WERE
ENTERED ON AN IEC FORM AND THEN TAKEN TO THE
COLLATION CENTER, WHICH WAS IN CDA'S CASE
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN ANOTHER ROOM AT THE STADIUM.
FROM THERE, THE RESULTS WERE FAXED TO IEC
HEADQUARTERS AT 1100 ON OCTOBER 19. IEC DIRECTOR
GABRIEL ROBERTS THEN OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THE
RESULTS AT 1400 ON OCTOBER 19.


10. INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS WERE UNIFORM
IN EXPRESSING THEIR GENERAL SATISFACTION WITH THE
CONDUCT OF VOTING ON OCTOBER 19. THERE WERE OVER
100 INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS PARTICIPATING IN THE
POLL, INCLUDING OUR SIX. DR. JACKIE DUGARD OF THE
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT (WHO FIELDED ABOUT 25
OBSERVERS) STATED THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED AAT HOW
WELL EVERYTHING HAD GONE. SRSG JAMES GBEHO,
CURRENTLY AN INDEPENDENT MP IN GHANA, CONGRATULATED
THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE ON A JOB WELL DONE. EU RESREP
GEORGE-MARC ANDRE STATED THAT HIS OVERALL IMPRESSION
OF THE POLL WAS POSITIVE. UN RESREP JOHN KAKONGE
STATED THAT THE FLAWS HE OBSERVED DID NOT PERTAIN TO
THE ACTUAL POLLING OR COUNTING PROCESS. PURPORTED
WORLD CONFERENCE OF MAYORS REPRESENTATIVE USC JOHNNY
FORD AND HIS TEAM REPORTEDLY `HIGH-FIVED' ALL THE
GAMBIANS PRESENT IN THE BAR WHERE THEY HEARD THE
OFFICIAL RESULTS ANNOUNCED, THEN STATED THAT THEY
LOOKED FORWARD TO WORKING WITH A GAMBIA FREE OF
OPPRESSIVE COLONIALST INFLUENCE...


11. IN A STUNNING SHOW OF ELECTORAL GRACE RARELY
SEEN IN AFRICA OR ELSEWHERE, MAJOR CHALLENGER AND
UDP OPPOSITION COALITION LEADER OUSAINOU DARBOE (WHO
POLLED 32.67 PERCENT OF THE VOTE) CALLED PRESIDENT
JAMMEH DURING THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 19 TO CONCEDE
DEFEAT. DARBOE THEN CONVENED A PRESS CONFERENCE AT
HIS HOME TO ANNOUNCE HIS CONCESSION. HE STATED THAT
HIS CONCESSION IN NO WAY SUGGESTED THAT THE ELECTION
WAS FLAWLESS, RATHER IT SUGGESTED THAT AS A DEMOCRAT
COMMITTED TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, HE RECOGNIZED
THAT HE HAD LOST THE ELECTION AND WAS READY TO FOCUS
HIS EFFORTS ON THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS SCHEDULED
FOR SPRING 2002, IN WHICH HE EXPECTS THAT THE
COALITION WILL WIN A MAJORITY. THIS SENTIMENT WAS
ECHOED TO CDA BY HIS CHIEF LIEUTENANT, M. DIALLO, AT
A RECEPTION FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS
HOSTED BY THE UK HIGH COMMISSIONER THE EVENING OF
OCTOBER 19.


12. WE SHALL PROVIDE OUR COMMENTS SEPTEL.


TITUS