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Gambia: Adama Barrow re-elected president to second term
Barrow garnered more than 53 percent of the vote.
AFP | Adama Barrow comfortably won a second term in The Gambia’s presidential election, with thousands of his supporters celebrating in the streets of Banjul, although his opponents disputed the results announced late Sunday.
Barrow, whose assumption of the presidency 5 years ago ended more than 20 years of dictatorship, garnered more than 53 percent of the vote, according to results released by the electoral commission. His main challenger Ousainou Darboe won 27.7 percent.
In third place is Mama Kandeh with 105,892 or 12 percent. Veteran opposition leader Halifa Sallah stood a distant fourth with 32,435 or 4 percent.
The remaining contenders defeated by Barrow are independent candidate Essa Faal in 5th place with 17,206 and Ablie Jammeh at the bottom with 8,252 votes.
Saturday’s election, the first since former dictator Yahya Jammeh fled into exile, is seen as crucial for the young West African democracy.
Electoral commission chairman Alieu Momarr Njai declared Barrow the winner, announcing the final results to journalists hours after rival candidates had challenged partial results that gave him a commanding lead.
