1. About Gambia Participates, the Elections Watch Committee (EWC) and CSO Coalition on Elections Gambia Participates is a civil society organization focused on promoting fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, enhancing electoral processes and the rule of law to strengthen democracy in The Gambia. GP has been working on improving the electoral process through citizen election observation, voter education, participation, and reform process. Since 2020, Gambia Participates have observed eight (8) elections in The Gambia and abroad. The Elections Watch Committee (EWC) is a non-partisan citizen observation platform created through a partnership of seven organizations with expertise in governance, youth participation, and gender inclusion. The EWC includes Peace Ambassadors – The Gambia (PAG), ACTIVISTA, National Youth Parliament (NYP), Think Young Women (TYW), Beakanyang, Peace Hub – The Gambia (PHTG), and The Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD). Since November 2020, the EWC has monitored elections across The Gambia, providing recommendations for improving electoral integrity. Peace Ambassadors – The Gambia serves as the secretariat of the committee. The CSO Coalition on Election was set-up in 2006 by a group of Civil Society Organizations under the leadership of TANGO. The CSO Coalition on Elections-The Gambia being a national platform aims to facilitate and enhance CSOs’ participation in elections and electioneering, democracy and good governance. With a membership of over 30 Civil Society Organizations, the CSO Coalition on Elections continues to participate and influence public policy through election observation and monitoring and peace building. The CSO Coalition on Elections was established to build local capacity for election observation to strengthen democracy and the integrity of elections in The Gambia. This joint statement reflects the commitment of civil society organizations to strengthening collaboration in advancing democratic principles, electoral integrity, and civic engagement in The Gambia. Through strategic partnerships and unified efforts, Gambia Participates and the EWC seek to safeguard the integrity of The Gambia’s electoral processes, as free and fair elections are the foundation of all democratic governments. 2. Introduction On April 26, 2025, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) conducted the Half Die ward by-election in the city of Banjul under the Banjul South Constituency. Mr. Momodou Bah was reelected as the representative of the people of Half Die in the 2023 Councillorship Election, under the ticket of the National People’s Party (NPP), receiving 661 (63.9%) votes, against United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Ruggie Faal, who received 374 (36.1%) of the total votes cast. Pursuant to section 19(1)(f) of the Local Government Act, 2002, an elected member of a Council shall cease to be a member “if he or she absents himself or herself from more than three consecutive ordinary meetings of the Council without the written permission of the Chairperson of the Council.1 Following the reported abandonment of the Half Die ward seat at the Banjul City Council by Councillor Momodou Bah and his cessation as a member of the Council, and pursuant to section 23 of the Local Government Act, 2002, a by-election should be conducted within two months “where an elected member of a Council ceases to hold office.”2 As a result, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of The Gambia on March 7, 2025, announced that it would be conducting a Councillorship by-election for Half Die ward, within the constituency of Banjul South to fill in the vacant seat. Half Die is a small electoral division with 1,720 registered voters, of whom 47% are female and 53% are male. Two candidates submitted their nomination file at the IEC Banjul Regional Office, which were reviewed and accepted by the IEC. The two candidates are: · Mr. Bartholomeh Colley – National People’s Party (NPP) · Mr. Salieu Jallow – People’s Progressive Party (PPP) 3. Election Observation Deployment There was only one polling center with 3 voting streams located at the Banjul Mini Stadium. The joint election observation mission by Gambia Participates, the Elections Watch Committee and the CSO Coalition on Elections deployed a total of 15 trained and accredited observers. This Final Election Observation Statement is based on the reports received from our trained election observers covering 100% of the polling streams. 4. Summary of Key Election Day Findings Opening of the Polls · All the 3 polling stations (100%), opened on time with all voting essential materials provided. · Party agents were present in 100% of polling stations and witnessed the pre-voting demonstrations by an IEC polling officer. There was no objection from party agents. · IEC polling officials adhered to standard procedures during the opening of the polls, demonstrating the required standard for ballot drum opening and sealing, taking note of each security seal code, counting of total marbles before voting commenced, and placing the ballot drum in the voting room, all in the presence of party agents and observers. · There were at least, four (4) IEC polling officers present in all the polling stations with 25% of the polling officers being women · Security personnel were present at all polling stations with 25% of the security personnel being women · No reports of missing names from the voter list were recorded, and no voter was allowed to cast a ballot without a valid voter’s card. Voting Process · Voter verification was strictly enforced, with all voters required to present a valid voter’s card before casting their ballot. Each party agent was given a copy of the voter roll to cross-check the name of each voter before casting their votes · At least 3 voters were not allowed to vote because they presented invalid (expired) voter’s card. One individual was also denied voting because she is not a registered voter under Half Die ward · Indelible ink was applied to all voters’ fingers, ensuring no multiple voting. There was no incident where a voter attempted to vote twice. · Secret ballot procedures were adhered to, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. · Priority voting was provided for elderly voters and persons with disabilities in all observed polling stations. · At least 2/3 polling stations (66.6%) were accessible to persons with disabilities. 3 voters with disabilities found it difficult to access polling booth 10106-1 due to broken slabs. They were eventually assisted to cast their vote in the same booth. Critical Incidents During the Voting Process · There was no critical incident during the voting process. The election was relatively peaceful and stable. Closing and Counting Process · At 5pm, the voting process was closed in 100% of the polling stations. · Party agents accompanied the Presiding Officer when the ballot drums were being removed from the voting booth for counting · Presiding officers properly sealed the ballot drums and accounted for unused ballot tokens, returning them to the designated ballot sack. · Ballot counting was conducted in accordance with IEC guidelines, with results transparently shared with all party agents. · A copy of the official Count Form, which was signed by party agents, was publicly posted at each polling station for transparency. 5. Collation Process · The collation process was conducted without further postponements or interruptions after the delayed results arrived. · All polling station results were included in the final collation form, ensuring a comprehensive aggregation of votes. · Party agents signed the final collated results form, with copies provided to all party stakeholders. 6. Election Results Out of the 1,720 registered voters in Half Die ward, a total of 918 votes were cast representing a low voter turnout of 53.3% compared to 70% voter turnout in the 2023 Councillorship election (Half Die ward). In this by-election, the NPP candidate received 65.5% of the total votes cast while the PPP candidate received 34.5%. No invalid votes were recorded. The NPP candidate Mr. Bartholomeh Colley was subsequently declared the elected Councillor of the Half Die 2025 by-election by the IEC. Below is a detailed breakdown of all results received at polling station level. 7. Recommendations To the IEC: · Web publication of the election results on the IEC website is still pending. The IEC should publish results on their website as soon as the official results are announced. · The IEC should ensure that voting instructions at polling units are visible and readable. · The voting instructions should be in colored picture, which is more reader friendly as compared to the black and white printed photo instructions. To Political Parties and Candidates: · Utilize the prescribed legal process to pursue any complaint or grievances arising from the elections. To the National Assembly (previous recommendations maintained): · As the 2026-2028 electoral cycle approaches, the National Assembly must prioritize legislative and constitutional reform. The Elections Bill, 2020 should be prioritized without further delay · Through consultation, Parliament should develop a Campaign Financing law that will explicitly regulate campaign financing to ensure credibility and accountability of the electoral process. The law should consider giving the Anti-Corruption Commission the jurisdiction to regulate, ensure compliance and accountability in Campaign Financing. The expansion of the scope of vote buying and community developments that are electioncentric (close to election day) and the auditing and publication of party/candidate campaign financial statements, should be included in the Campaign Financing law. To the National Council for Civic Education · To continue to amplify civic education efforts to the general citizenry on their civic rights and duties particularly in relation to elections. To the Media: · Continue to demonstrate professionalism in its reportage and ensure citizens continue to receive accurate information about the election process. · Journalists and media organizations should be politically neutral and adhere to the GPU Cherno Jallow Code of Ethics To the Security Forces: · While we commend the professionalism and neutrality of security personnel in dealing with electoral-related matters, we encourage rights-based crowd control mechanisms. 8. Conclusion Having observed the Half Die ward by-elections in Banjul, Gambia Participates, the EWC and the CSO Coalition on Elections came to a conclusion that the outcome of the election reflected the will of voters in Half Die. The electoral process was transparent, free, and fair. Contact Information[email protected]https://www.gambiaparticipates.orgMarr NyangContact Information[email protected] Yankuba Manjang Contact Information[email protected][email protected]Modou Lamin Mbye