Gambian Opposition Struggles to Speak With One Voice, Foroyaa Reports
Gambia’s opposition parties keep showing up to coalition talks but are failing to forge a single political force capable of challenging the incumbent, according to the Gambian newspaper Foroyaa, whose commentary was distributed by AllAfrica. The paper observed that the same opposition formations have attended multiple rounds of negotiations yet have not spoken with one voice, leaving voters uncertain about which arrangement, if any, will end in unity rather than further fragmentation.
The commentary reflects a recurring feature of Gambian politics since the country’s democratic transition. In 2016, a broad coalition of opposition parties rallied behind Adama Barrow to defeat Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled The Gambia for more than two decades. That coalition, which included figures from parties as varied as the United Democratic Party and the Gambia Democratic Congress, was widely credited with ending Jammeh’s rule, but it unravelled shortly after Barrow took office in 2017.
Since then, the Gambian opposition has struggled to recapture the kind of broad-based alliance that brought about the 2017 change. Barrow’s decision to seek a second term, after initially pledging to serve only one, deepened divisions and prompted new opposition realignments ahead of the 2021 presidential vote. Several smaller parties and independent figures have since explored joint platforms, but none has consolidated into a dominant coalition.
Foroyaa‘s commentary frames the problem as one of political will versus political capability: the desire to form coalitions is present, the newspaper writes, but the ability to translate that desire into a durable alliance remains elusive. Coalition arrangements concluded so far, it notes, have produced disunity rather than the unity Gambians are seeking.
For a small West African state with a recent history of authoritarian rule, the question of opposition cohesion carries weight beyond electoral arithmetic. A fragmented field can advantage an incumbent, but it can also leave voters with limited choice. Until the disparate parties find a formula that holds beyond the signing ceremony, the country may continue to watch coalition announcements multiply without producing a credible challenger to the governing side.
Sources
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