Coalition 2026 Pledges New Constitution, Two-Term Presidential Limit, and Sweeping Governance Reforms

By Seedy Jobe

Coalition 2026 has unveiled an ambitious governance and accountability agenda, pledging to introduce a new constitution, establish a two-term presidential limit, and undertake sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions, combating corruption, and improving public service delivery if it wins the December 2026 presidential election.

The commitments are outlined in the coalition’s 66-point manifesto, officially launched on Thursday at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.

Under its constitutional reform agenda, the coalition pledged to introduce the necessary legislation and complete the constitutional review process within six months of assuming office, paving the way for a national referendum on a new constitution that would establish a two-term limit for the presidency.

The coalition also promised to prioritize reparations for victims of human rights violations by providing annual budgetary allocations to the Victims Reparations Commission. It pledged to settle all outstanding verified claims within its first year in office and publish progress reports every six months.

On corruption and public accountability, Coalition 2026 said it would establish an online public procurement platform within 12 months, providing real-time access to government tenders, contract awards, complaints, and their outcomes.

It also committed to following up on findings contained in the Auditor General’s reports and publishing annual updates on actions taken.

The manifesto further promises to grant the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Access to Information Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission full financial and enforcement autonomy within two years.

Political officeholders would also be required to make periodic asset declarations, with penalties for noncompliance, under measures the coalition said it would enforce within its first six months in government.

On civil liberties, the coalition pledged to repeal the Public Order Act within 12 months and strengthen legal protections for freedom of assembly, civic participation, and peaceful protest. It also promised measures to prevent intimidation and abuses against citizens exercising those rights.

Public sector reform features prominently in the manifesto, with commitments to complete civil service restructuring and introduce measurable performance standards for public institutions and senior government officials within two years.

The coalition said these reforms would link accountability to service delivery outcomes while digitizing core government operations to create centralized, searchable records, improve information security, and ensure that official decisions can be traced.

The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is another major focus of the coalition’s proposed reforms.

Within its first year, the coalition pledged to commission and publish an independent assessment of NAWEC’s technical, financial, operational, and legal performance in electricity and water services. The findings would guide subsequent restructuring and investment decisions.

The coalition also proposed opening the electricity sector to institutional investors and separating power generation, transmission, distribution and retail supply under a transparent regulatory framework within two years.

It pledged to expand domestic electricity generation capacity within five years to strengthen baseload supply and reduce the country’s reliance on imported energy.

The manifesto further sets a five-year target for providing the entire population with access to safe and reliable drinking water.

In agriculture, Coalition 2026 promised to introduce concessional financing, including long-term credit facilities for farmers, cooperatives and agribusinesses, within 18 months of taking office.

It also pledged to revive river transportation as a means of supporting agricultural trade and logistics, including rehabilitating key jetties within three years.

The coalition’s fisheries proposals include suspending the operations of foreign industrial fishing trawlers within six months and establishing protected coastal fishing zones to safeguard the livelihoods of local fishing communities.

On environmental protection, the coalition promised constitutional and legislative reforms within two years to prevent gazetted forests from being converted to other uses solely through ministerial orders.

Under the proposed framework, any such conversion would require public consultation, an environmental impact assessment, parliamentary approval and a publicly disclosed justification.

The wide-ranging commitments place constitutional reform, institutional accountability, public utilities and natural resource protection at the center of Coalition 2026’s campaign platform ahead of the December presidential election.

The manifesto also sets specific implementation deadlines for many of its proposals, ranging from six months to five years, establishing benchmarks against which the coalition’s performance could be assessed should it form the next government.