The Gambia: Calls for legislative and electoral reform ahead of elections

Ahead of the December 5 presidential election in The Gambia, political leaders and analysts are calling for significant reforms to the country's legislative and electoral frameworks.

National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Kebba Madi Bojang has criticized the National Assembly, describing it as ineffective and failing to hold the government accountable. Bojang argued that current laws primarily empower those in power and promised to prioritize legislative reform and institutional change to protect citizens' rights if elected.

Separately, political analyst Lamin Juwara has advocated for changes to electoral laws that currently prevent political parties from directly challenging the eligibility of registered voters in court. Juwara noted that the recent removal of 62 ineligible individuals from the 2026 supplementary voter register demonstrated how critical such legal challenges are to maintaining election integrity, suggesting that even small numbers of votes can decide a presidential outcome.