At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Gambia

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Yahya A. J. JAMMEH
• Head of Government: President Yahya A. J. JAMMEH
• Assembly: Gambia, The has a unicameral National Assembly with 49 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly, 45 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms and 4 members are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Yahya A.J. JAMMEH
  • Party: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)
• Ousainou DARBOU
  • Party: United Democratic Party (UDP)
• Hamat BAH
  • Party: National Reconciliation Party
• Sherif Mustapha DIBBA
  • Party: National Convention Party (NCP)
• Sidia JATTA
  • Party: People's Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on September 26, 1996. President Yahya A.J. JAMMEH received 55.8% of the vote, thereby defeating DARBOU who received 35.8% of the vote.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 1,267,103 (2001)
• Registered Voters: 509,301 (2001)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 638,319 (2001)

·         Is The Gambia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (29 July 1980)

·         Has The Gambia ratified CEDAW: Yes (16 April 1993)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 1 (following the 1997 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 175 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is The Gambia a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has The Gambia ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (6 July 2015)

·         Population with a disability: 190,065 (est.)