By Haddy Touray
United Democratic Party (UDP) leader Ousainou Darboe has questioned the legitimacy of previous presidential elections in The Gambia, saying he does not believe he has ever fairly lost an election.
Darboe made the remarks during an interview with Hill Top FM on Tuesday, in response to a question about why the 5 December presidential election would be different from previous contests in which he unsuccessfully sought the presidency.
“There is no election here that I have lost,” Darboe said.
He argued that elections held during former President Yahya Jammeh’s 22-year rule could not reasonably be considered free and fair, alleging that the process was affected by manipulation and other irregularities.
Darboe, who repeatedly challenged Jammeh for the presidency, alleged that ballot boxes were swapped and that election materials were transported after voting had ended without adequate oversight from representatives of political parties.
He cited alleged incidents in the Kerewan Administrative Area, saying ballot boxes from Niumi were transported by ferry after 7 p.m. without party agents accompanying them.
He also alleged that ballot boxes from Saloum and Sami were transported across the River Gambia at night.
“That’s what happened. They swapped boxes,” he said.
Darboe did not provide evidence during the interview to substantiate the allegations.
He rejected suggestions that his previous electoral defeats demonstrated an inability to win the presidency, arguing that such conclusions failed to take into account the conditions under which elections were conducted during the Jammeh era.
The UDP leader said his party had since taken steps to address what he described as loopholes in the electoral process and prevent similar irregularities from occurring in future elections.
He said the measures were not intended solely to benefit the UDP but to strengthen the integrity of the electoral system as a whole.
Darboe also stressed that his concerns should not be interpreted as an attack on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
He said the UDP was not seeking to undermine the electoral body but wanted safeguards to ensure that elections were conducted transparently and credibly.
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