With our correspondent in Banjul, Milan Berckmans

First observation: only one voter in two cast their ballot. Legislative elections continue to struggle to mobilize voters in Gambia, particularly in rural areas. This low turnout has primarily worked against President Adama Barrow and his party.

After his resounding success in the presidential election and a second term secured with 53% of the vote last December, the Gambian president wanted to obtain a strong majority, but instead he inherits a fragmented Parliament. While the ruling party can count on a four-party alliance that should bring him the support of around thirty deputies, he is still far from an absolute majority.

Yet, to carry out his major reforms, notably the constitutional revision that should make it possible to lift the immunity of former presidents or to limit the number of terms, the support of at least 39 of the 53 deputies will be essential.

According to Sait Matty Jaw, a political science researcher, this new configuration foreshadows further blockages within the chamber. For the future majority, it will therefore be necessary to convince deputies to obtain real progress, and finally to make concrete the hopes born after the departure of Yahya Jammeh in 2017.