United Democratic Party (The Gambia)

United Democratic Party
Abbreviation UDP
Leader Ousainou Darboe
Founded 1996
Ideology Human rights
Constitutionalism
Grassroots democracy
Social democracy
Political position Centre-left
International affiliation Socialist International (consultative)
National Assembly
31 / 58
Website
www.udpgambia.party

The United Democratic Party (abbreviated UDP) is a political party in the Gambia, founded in 1996 by the human rights lawyer Ousainou Darboe. As a candidate in the presidential election of 18 October 2001, he came second with 32.6% of the popular vote; he took second place again in the 22 September 2006 presidential election with 26.7% of the vote. The 17 January 2002 parliamentary election was boycotted by the party. In the 25 January 2007 parliamentary election, the party won four out of 48 seats.[1]

After Darboe was jailed in April 2016 for his political activities in opposition to the ruling government of Yahyah Jammeh[2] and his Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party, the previous UDP treasurer Adama Barrow was selected as its leader and candidate for the 2016 presidential election. The UDP then became part of the opposition alliance known as Coalition 2016, a group of seven political parties, and the Coalition endorsed Barrow as its candidate. Barrow officially resigned from the party to allow him to run as a formally independent candidate endorsed by the Coalition. Barrow then won the election in a surprise victory. When Jammeh refused to accept the election result, he was forced from office by a regional military intervention, and when Barrow took office, Darboe was released from prison.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

Election date Party candidate Number of votes received Percentage of votes
1996 Ousainou Darboe 141,387 35.84%
2001 Ousainou Darboe 149,448 32.59%
2006 Ousainou Darboe 104,808 26.7%
2011 Ousainou Darboe 114,177 17.4%
2016 Adama Barrow 227,708 43.3%

Parliamentary Elections

Election Votes Vote % Seats Outcome of election
1997 104,568 33.97%
7 / 49
 APRC majority
2002 boycotted
0 / 53
 APRC majority
2007 57,545 21.8%
4 / 53
 APRC majority
2012 boycotted
0 / 53
 APRC majority
2017 142,146 37.47
31 / 58
 UDP majority

References

  1. ↑ Elections in the Gambia, African Elections Database.
  2. ↑ "Gambia opposition leader jailed". BBC News. 21 July 2016.
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