By Alieu Jallow
Gambians in the Diaspora have reacted with frustration, though not surprise, at the National Assembly’s rejection of the Diaspora Voting Bill.
Many argue that President Adama Barrow and his government have never demonstrated genuine political will to extend voting rights to Gambians abroad, despite their significant contributions to the country’s GDP.
The Diaspora has been a key economic pillar for years, sending millions of dollars in remittances that sustain families and boost the national economy. However, many feel that Barrow’s administration has deliberately sidelined them from the democratic process, fearing the political consequences of their participation in elections.
Saikou Camara, a prominent diaspora activist, stated that Barrow sees the Diaspora vote as a direct threat to his presidency, knowing well that a significant number of Gambians abroad, along with their children who are eligible to vote, could sway the results against him.
“Barrow understands that his government is widely unpopular among Gambians abroad. If they were allowed to vote, they could register their adult children, many of whom have never even been to The Gambia, to participate in elections. Now, imagine the entire Gambian diaspora, along with their adult children and spouses, voting overwhelmingly against Barrow. Do you think he would willingly allow that, knowing it could cost him the presidency? It would be political suicide,” he states.
He also warned of potential economic repercussions, highlighting the contradiction in the government’s approach. While remittances from abroad will undoubtedly continue, he noted that the Central Bank’s recent initiative to attract diaspora investment in The Gambia could suffer if the government refuses to acknowledge their political rights.
“You cannot expect Gambians abroad to pump their hard-earned money into a system that refuses to recognize them as full citizens, if Gambians want real change, they must vote Barrow out in 2026. Simple,” Camara added.
Samba Bah is another young Gambian in the United States who stressed that he was not the least surprised, noting that he has not seen much political will for extending suffrage to the diaspora. However, he called on his fellow Gambians to leverage the opportunity to collaborate and work to advocate for their representation.
“I want this to serve as a motivating factor for Gambians in the diaspora to organize and work together transnationally to advocate for suffrage and representation. Our neighbors, Senegal and Cape Verde, have diaspora representation in their parliaments. We can have the same. But to have that, we will need to organize across political divides and geographical borders to advocate and lobby for it,” he said.
Sowe added that despite the government recognizing the Diaspora’s contribution, they are reluctant to grant them their political rights.
“I know the government recognized the diaspora’s contribution, but this decision suggests that while they are happy to benefit from the diaspora’s economic contributions, it is unwilling to grant them the political rights that should naturally accompany their role in national development. This vote suggests that the government does not see much value in the diaspora’s political participation,” he said.
Pa Samba Jaw, commonly known as Coach, is a prominent human rights activist based in Maryland. He expressed his frustration over what he described as the President and his cabinet denying bona fide Gambians their fundamental human and constitutional rights. Coach emphasized that he was surprised by the rejection of the bill, stating that since Barrow came to power in 2017, he has shown nothing but ingratitude despite the millions of dalasis raised by the Diaspora for his campaign.
“Adama Barrow’s government recognizes the contribution of the diaspora only in words. Every year, they would tout the diaspora’s contribution to the economy when they announce the massive remittances from the diaspora. Lest we forget, Adama has, since coming to power, been dismissive of the diaspora’s contribution to his presidency. It is an irrefutable fact that Adama Barrow’s accidental presidency was only possible because the diaspora poured millions of Dalasis into his campaign, but if you were to ask him today, he would claim that he alone “killed the lion”.
Coach Pa Samba believes that President Barrow and his cabinet cannot be trusted in terms of Diaspora affairs.
“Just like Barrow did with the 3-year agreement, the 2020 Draft Constitution, whenever you have any agreement with him, and that agreement comes in the way of his insatiable desire to self-perpetuate, he will renege on that promise. In Barrow’s mind, having the diaspora vote could cost him politically, hence this vote by his supporters at the National Assembly,” he argues.
The rejection of the Diaspora Voting Bill is being seen as a clear indication of the government’s unwillingness to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens abroad. Whether this will impact future elections and investment decisions remains to be seen, but for many in the diaspora, the message from Barrow’s government is clear: their contributions are welcomed, but their votes are not.
