THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ADVANCED TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANJUL 000359

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ADVANCED TO
SEPTEMBER

REF: BANJUL 231 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph Stafford, reason 1.4 (b and d).


1. (U) This is an action message -- see para 5.


2. (U) The GOTG has announced that the presidential election
will be held on September 22, vice October, as previously
scheduled. In its announcement, the GOTG noted that the holy
month of Ramadan fell during October, and indicated that
Muslims' Ramadan fasting rendered full campaign activities
impractical.


3. (U) The opposition wasted no time in endorsing the revised
election date. Ousainou Darboe, head of The Gambia's largest
opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP),told the
media that "it does not matter when the election is held, as
we'll be ready to wage an effective campaign to defeat
(President) Jammeh."


4. (C) COMMENT: There had been speculation that the GOTG,
instead of advancing the election date due to Ramadan, would
push it back to November. It is noteworthy that the
country's leading opposition figure, UDP head Darboe, has
readily embraced the revised date, eschewing any suggestion
in his statement of an effort by Jammeh and his ruling APRC
party to accelerate the electoral process so as to cut short
opposition parties' electioneering. Despite Darboe's upbeat
talk, though, Jammeh's re-election is taken for granted by
most of our contacts, who portray the fragmentation besetting
the opposition parties as ensuring Jammeh's triumph. END
COMMENT.


5. (C) ACTION REQUEST FOR DEPARTMENT: We take this
opportunity to repeat our previous request for Department's
approval of our proposed $300,000 ESF project to provide IFES
support for the Independent Electoral Commission's
preparations for the upcoming presidential election as well
as the subsequent National Assembly election scheduled for
January 2007 (reftel). We continue to believe that the
fragility of The Gambia's democratization -- as reflected in
the failed coup plot here in March and the GOTG's ensuing
harsh campaign to ferret out suspected plotters and rein in
the media -- only underscores the need for donor assistance
on behalf of the strengthening of democratic institutions.
END ACTION REQUEST.
STAFFORD