By Fatou Sillah
The mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council and co-founder of the Unite Movement for Change, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, has warned that a potential second term for President Adama Barrow could mark a setback for democratic governance in the Gambia.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Bensouda argued that another Barrow victory would signal what he described as a troubling shift in the country’s democratic trajectory.
“If President Barrow managed to win this election, I think we will see a negative trend in the democratic optics of this country,” he said.
Bensouda said The Gambia was already experiencing what he characterized as a reversal of democratic progress, emphasizing that meaningful democracy depends less on visible development projects and more on institutions and the rule of law.
“Gambia is not democratic, and like I said, I see the trend is reversing,” he said.
The mayor said expectations that President Barrow would consolidate democratic reforms after taking office had not been fully met. Barrow came to power in 2017 after defeating longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh, pledging to strengthen democratic institutions and restore governance norms.
“President Barrow was elected to represent a new type of Gambia, a Gambia that is democratic, so these were reforms he should have brought,” he said.
He further argued that democracy must be measured through institutional strength rather than appearances or infrastructure development.
“Democracy is law, democracy is regulation; it’s the strength of institutions. At face value, President Barrow might have a smiley face; at face value, he’s a civilian. He’s not a military man, so of course things would be different from the former regime, but in terms of substance, you know, Gambia is not democratic,” he said.
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