The debate over Gambians abroad gaining voting rights took center stage in Parliament as the Minister for Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, clarified an amendment to Section 88 of the 1997 Constitution. Speaking to lawmakers on 4th March 2025, he stated that the Constitution allows for 'at least 53' elected members, meaning no amendment is needed to register Gambians living overseas. However, his claim that constituency demarcation is required before registration has sparked debate among pro-Diaspora Vote advocates. So, does the law actually mandate demarcation before registration? Here’s what the facts say.

The Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, claimed that the Draft Constitution would have addressed inadequacies related to constituencies for Gambians living abroad. However, a thorough review of both the 2020 and 2024 Draft Constitutions reveals that no such provisions exist, contradicting his statement. This raises concerns about the accuracy of his remarks during the consideration of Clause 14 of the Elections Bill 2021. More in the FactCheck report.

The aftermath of Parliamentarians vote to remove clause 14 to register Gambians abroad has been met with significant public outcry. This has prompted our reporter to dig up a previously unpublished article featuring a meeting between the National Assembly’s joint committee and Gambians in the Diaspora spearheaded by MSDG. More in the link.

In a recent interview with QTV, President Adama Barrow claimed that his intention is to ensure more Diaspora can participate in electoral processes for President and National Assembly and be appointed as Cabinet Ministers. Our review of the 1997 Constitution, the 2020 Draft, and the 2024 Draft Constitution ascertains the Executive’s intention. More in this feature story.

This Explainer is on the upcoming Commonwealth Secretary General Elections scheduled for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on 21st to 27th October 2024.

This feature article revisits how the Gambia’s Parliamentary seats from 48 to 53 elected members back in 2015.

Ahead of Gambia’s 2021 residential election, President Adama Barrow and the five other contesting candidates signed a code of conduct to guide their campaigns and address eventualities after the polls.