The opposition National Reconciliation Party (NRP) has won by a landslide the Lower Saloum by-election conducted yesterday in that constituency.
Whilst the ruling APRC party’s candidate Kaba Touray scored 1618 votes, the NRP candidate Modou Bamba Gaye polled 2764 votes, defeating his opponent by 1146 votes.
According to report aired by State TV, the total votes cast in the by-election was 4,382, adding that there were no invalid votes.
Speaking to this paper shortly after the results were announced, Hamat Bah, leader of NRP, said: “The results are clearly indicative of the people’s desire for a change in the 2016 election.”
He added: “Government deployed entire state machinery on the ground, but at the end of the day the people lost confidence in the APRC leadership.”
With this latest victory, the NRP has now got two seats at the National Assembly, which has a total of 48 elected MPs. Four are independent MPs and the ruling APRC party has 42 seats.
The by-election followed the sacking of Pa Malick Ceesay - who was the MP for Lower Saloum constituency - from the APRC party.
Ceesay is presently going to court, charged with economic crimes.
