Gambian President Barrow on course for big win: Early results

Three opposition candidates have rejected the partial results of Gambia’s election that show President Adama Barrow heading for a resounding victory, citing an unusual delay in tallying the votes.

Barrow had won about 54 percent of votes from 50 of 53 constituencies, leaving the West African nation of 2.5 million people on the verge of a result that was expected to draw a line under a difficult political past.

“A simple majority is enough for any of the six candidates to win,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reported earlier from the capital Banjul.

Saturday’s vote was the first in 27 years without disgraced former president Yahya Jammeh, who lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea after refusing to accept defeat to Barrow in 2016.

Jammeh, whose 22-year rule over the tiny nation of 2.5 million people was characterised by killings and torture of political opponents, had tried to persuade supporters to vote for an opposition coalition in telephoned speeches that were relayed to campaign rallies.

Official results suggested he had failed to dent Barrow’s following, and representatives from all opposition parties signed off on the tally sheets already read to the election commission on Sunday.