Gambia: Another Manipulation

By Scott Morgan

  

​​December​ ​1st​ ​was​ ​Election​ ​Day​ ​in​ ​the​ ​West​ ​African​ ​Nation​ ​of​ ​the Gambia.​ ​Like​ ​several​ ​other​ ​nations​ ​this​ ​was​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​if​ ​a​ ​long​ ​entrenched​ ​leader​ ​would leave​ ​via​ ​the​ ​will​ ​of​ ​the​ ​electorate​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Ballot​ ​Box.​ ​More​ ​often​ ​than​ ​not​ ​the​ ​answer​ ​ends​ ​up being​ ​no.

This​ ​is​ ​an​ ​interesting​ ​paradigm​ ​to​ ​suggest​ ​that​ ​a​ ​long​ ​entrenched leader​ ​would​ ​actually​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​the​ ​cries​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Ballot​ ​Box.​ ​Especially​ ​one​ ​who​ ​initially​ ​seized power​ ​in​ ​a​ ​Coup.​ ​But​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​denying​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Population​ ​within​ ​the​ ​Country​ ​are​ ​crying​ ​for​ ​a change.​ ​Herein​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​for​ ​elections.

​We​ ​are​ ​seeing​ ​a​ ​new​ ​calculus​ ​at​ ​work​ ​in​ ​some​ ​African​ ​Countries. Long​ ​Entrenched​ ​Leaders​ ​are​ ​holding​ ​elections.​ ​But​ ​by​ ​shutting​ ​down​ ​telecommunications (Phone​ ​&​ ​Internet​ ​Service)​ ​they​ ​are​ ​actually​ ​masking​ ​their​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​retain​ ​power.​ ​In​ ​Some Countries,​ ​the​ ​Electoral​ ​Commissions​ ​tabulate​ ​and​ ​analyze​ ​the​ ​results​ ​electronically.​ ​By​ ​shutting down​ ​these​ ​platforms​ ​the​ ​“proper”​ ​results​ ​can​ ​be​ ​generated​ ​without​ ​people​ ​realizing​ ​that​ ​their voices​ ​are​ ​being​ ​manipulated.

​​In​ ​some​ ​cases​ ​the​ ​Electoral​ ​Commissions​ ​often​ ​provide​ ​real​ ​time updates​ ​of​ ​how​ ​the​ ​counting​ ​process​ ​is​ ​proceeding.​ ​When​ ​Denis​ ​Soussou-Ngueso​ ​won​ ​his​ ​very controversial​ ​reelection​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Republic​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Congo​ ​(Congo-Brazzaville)​ ​He​ ​waited​ ​until​ ​the votes​ ​were​ ​cast​ ​before​ ​Shutting​ ​down​ ​the​ ​Phones​ ​and​ ​Internet.​ ​That​ ​way​ ​He​ ​could​ ​“win” reelection​ ​with​ ​numbers​ ​that​ ​were​ ​artificially​ ​created​ ​for​ ​his​ ​purpose.

Another​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​assists​ ​in​ ​this​ ​effort​ ​is​ ​having​ ​your​ ​allies​ ​as​ ​your Election​ ​Observers.​ ​We​ ​know​ ​that​ ​the​ ​AU​ ​was​ ​allowed​ ​into​ ​the​ ​Country​ ​to​ ​observe​ ​the​ ​polls while​ ​his​ ​critics​ ​in​ ​both​ ​the​ ​EU​ ​and​ ​ECOWAS​ ​determined​ ​that​ ​the​ ​climate​ ​was​ ​not​ ​conducive​ ​for them​ ​to​ ​operate​ ​and​ ​observe​ ​the​ ​polls​ ​in​ ​what​ ​they​ ​considered​ ​to​ ​be​ ​in​ ​a​ ​free​ ​manner.

​The​ ​Easy​ ​Part​ ​is​ ​over.​ ​The​ ​people​ ​lined​ ​up​ ​and​ ​expressed​ ​their opinions​ ​about​ ​who​ ​they​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​lead​ ​the​ ​Country.​ ​Mr.​ ​Jammeh​ ​​was​ ​in​ ​power​ ​and​ ​wished​ ​to remain,​ ​so​ ​most​ ​likely​ ​he had​ ​a​ ​major​ ​difference​ ​of​ ​opinion.​ However, his opinion did not override that of the people. In a surprising victory, Mr Jammeh lost to Adama Barrow. 

(Images: Adama Barrow - Daily Mail)

[The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dissecting Society]