Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL601
2006-09-28 18:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: MORE REACTIONS TO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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R 281800Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7008
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0055
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
RUEHC/AIT WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000601 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: MORE REACTIONS TO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

REF: A. BANJUL 594

B. BANJUL 589

C. BANJUL 588

BANJUL 00000601 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANJUL 000601

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM KMCA GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: MORE REACTIONS TO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

REF: A. BANJUL 594

B. BANJUL 589

C. BANJUL 588

BANJUL 00000601 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) A well-informed journalist, Pap Saine, portrayed
Taiwan and local businessmen of Lebanese origin as key
sources of funding for President Jammeh's successful
re-election campaign. A Commonwealth Secretariat official
and election observer, Prof. Ade Adefuye, asserted that
Jammeh's victory "represented the people's will," despite the
flawed electoral process, and judged that the 2006 contest
was "no worse" than the 2001 poll deemed credible by the
international community. By regional African standards,
according to Adefuye, the Gambians deserved "higher than
average marks" for the conduct of the voting process itself,
but "lower than average" marks for the conduct of the
preceding phase of the electoral process. Recounting his
and Commonwealth delegation head Salim Ahmed Salim's
post-election meeting with Jammeh, Adefuye said they had made
clear their concern over the slanted playing field in the
electoral process. Adefuye made clear his dismay over
Jammeh's outrageous statements in a post-election press
conference. END SUMMARY.

JOURNALIST'S READOUT
--------------


2. (C) In September 27 conversation with Ambassador, the
well-informed chief editor of the independent daily, "The
Point," Pap Saine, expressed surprise at President Jammeh's
margin of victory -- 67 percent compared to second-place
finisher UDP party head Ousainou Darboe's 27 percent -- in
the September 22 contest (see reftels for background). Saying
he had expected Jammeh to obtain about 55 percent of the
vote, Saine attributed the greater winning margin to an
effective and vigorous campaign by Jammeh and his APRC party.
Saine observed that, in the last presidential election, in
2001, Jammeh had taken victory for granted and mounted a
lackluster re-election campaign; he had been chastened in
winning by a relatively narrow margin -- 52 percent of the
vote, compared to Darboe's 37 percent. As a result, Saine

continued, in this latest contest, the APRC had pulled out
the stops to ensure a comfortable victory, freely drawing
from state resources for its campaign. He spoke of Taiwan as
a key source of those resources, citing Taipei's "campaign
contribution" of dols 3.5 million plus another tranche of
dols 3 million in assistance earmarked for a crucial voting
bloc -- the country's farmers. He added that The Gambia's
business community, particularly those of Lebanese origin,
had also made generous contributions to the APRC.


3. (C) Saine described Jammeh as the "credible winner" of the
September 22 contest. At the same time, he readily
acknowledged the slanted playing field in Jammeh's favor in
the September 22 contest, asserting that "thousands" of
non-Gambians from Senegal's Casamance region had been
fraudulently registered as voters to beef up Jammeh's tally.
Saine judged that there had been a similar level of
fraudulent voting by non-Gambians in the 2001 contest. He
also acknowledged instances of voting, both in 2006 and 2001,
by under-age Gambians, but maintained that the extent of such
under-age voting was modest on both occasions. Asked for his
views on the reduced overall voter turnout in the 2006 poll
-- 59 percent -- compared to that of 87 percent recorded in
2001, Saine maintained that the major factor was that
numerous opposition supporters refrained from voting out of
the belief that, with the schism between the UDP's Darboe and
Halifa Sallah of NADD, Jammeh's victory was certain.

COMMONWEALTH OBSERVER'S ASSESSMENT
--------------


4. (C) In September 28 discussion with Ambassador, the
Commonwealth Secretariat's African Section head, Prof. Ade
Adefuye, said the forthcoming Commonwealth team's election
observation report would characterize Jammeh's victory as
"representing the people's will." It would indicate, he
stressed, that the voting process itself went smoothly, that
secrecy of the ballot was respected, and that there was no
evidence of any systematic rigging of results. At the same
time, Adefuye continued, the Commonwealth report would point
to the unequal playing field that prevailed during the
campaigning phase of the electoral process. He
characterized the 2006 election as "no worse" than the 2001
version, while maintaining that, compared to 2001,

BANJUL 00000601 002.2 OF 002


Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials performed
with greater competence in this latest contest -- although,
he readily added, the IEC's capacity and resources remained
limited and donor assistance was needed. Asked to judge the
credibility of The Gambia's 2006 poll with regional African
standards, Adefuye said the Gambians deserved "higher than
average" marks for the conduct of the actual voting process,
while the conduct of the preceding phase warranted "lower
than average" marks because of the unequal playing field.


MEETING WITH JAMMEH
--------------


5. (C) Adefuye recounted Commonwealth delegation head (former
Tanzanian Prime Minister and OAU Secgen) Salim Ahmed Salim's
post-election meeting with President Jammeh. Adefuye, who
claimed to know Jammeh well from past visits and private
meetings with him here, accompanied Salim to the meeting.
Adefuye said the conversation had been frank; he and Salim,
while congratulating Jammeh on his victory, had made clear
their concern over the slanted playing field and, in
particular, the use of state resources in the APRC's
campaigning. The Commonwealth reps had also expressed
special concern over the partisan pro-APRC demeanor of
military and security forces during the campaigning. Adefuye
stated that a clearly resentful Jammeh had defended the
APRC's electioneering effort. At the same time, Adefuye went
on, Jammeh had also agreed that, in the run-up to the next
contest -- the January 2007 National Assembly elections --
the APRC would abide by a February 2006 inter-party MOU,
drafted by the Commonwealth, that provided for a "code of
good conduct" -- e.g., neutrality of state bureaucrats,
separation of state and party resources, equal media access
-- for parties during the electoral process. Adefuye
portrayed Jammeh's professed acceptance of the MOU as a
signficant gesture, noting its flouting by the APRC during
its just-ended election campaign.


JAMMEH'S PRESS CONFERENCE
--------------


6. (C) Adefuye remarked that he had been as dismayed as
anyone over some of Jammeh's remarks at his post-election
press conference, saying that, as in past discussions with
Jammeh, he would continue to urge him to moderate his
rhetoric. (NOTE: In his remarks, the erratic Jammeh displayed
his penchant for making outrageous statements. Asked about
press restrictions in The Gambia, he replied: "Let me tell
you one thing. The whole world can go to hell. If I want to
ban any newspaper, I will, with good reason." He
repeatedly chastized the West for giving Africa short shrift
after subjecting it to "400 years of exploitation," stressing
the need for African states to rely on themselves for
development rather than count on Western donors. He remarked:
"My World Bank has always been the almighty Allah and he will
always remain my World Bank; I don't look up to anybody but
the almighty Allah to develop this country." Asked about his
recent overtures to the Iranian and Venezuelan leaders,
Jammeh responded that The Gambia is "neutral in superpower
politics" and an "independent, sovereign state." END NOTE)

COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) In canvassing election observers and others, we note
their consensus that the outcome of the 2006 presidential
election reflected the "popular will," notwithstanding a
flawed electoral process that resulted in an inflated margin
of victory for Jammeh. Also, our contacts -- among them,
journalist Saine and Commonwealth rep Adefuye -- indicate
that this latest contest, despite its assorted shortcomings,
was no more flawed than the 2001 event. Losing UDP candidate
Darboe, as previously reported (ref a),asserted that the
APRC was actually better behaved this time. Looking ahead to
the National Assembly elections, it remains to be seen to
what extent Jammeh and the APRC will respect the inter-party
MOU and permit a more level playing field. However, Jammeh's
tough post-election statements, particularly regarding the
media, are not encouraging. END COMMENT
STAFFORD