US embassy cable - 01BANJUL878

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 BANJUL 000878 
 
PARIS, LONDON, BRUSSELS AND ROME FOR ARFICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS:  PGOV, PHUM, PINR, KDEM, PREL, GA 
SUBJECT:  GAMBIAN ELECTION OFFICIAL RESULTS - JAMMEH 
WINS, OPPOSITION CONCEDES 
 
SUMMARY:  GAMBIAN PRESIDENT YAHYA A.J.J. JAMMEH WAS 
REELECTED WITH 52.96 PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN THE 
OCTOBER 18, 2001 POLL.  THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL 
COMMISSION (IEC) ANNOUNCED THE OFFICIAL RESULTS AT 
1830 LOCAL TIME ON OCTOBER 19, 2001.  MAJOR 
CHALLENGER OUSAINOU DARBOE (WHO POLLED 32.67 PERCENT 
OF THE VOTE) CALLED PRESIDENT JAMMEH DURING THE 
AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 19 TO CONCEDE DEFEAT. 
INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS STATED THAT THEY 
WERE `SATISFIED' WITH THE CONDUCT OF THE VOTE.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
-    OUR DEPLOYMENT 
-    STATISTICS 
-    THE MECHANICS OF THE VOTE 
-    FONI FUN: TALES FROM THE OPPOSITION-FREE ZONE 
-    WEST COAST 
-    NO INFILTRATORS IN ILLIASA 
-    KWINELLA SERVES AS KIANG CENTRAL NEXUS 
-    ALBREDA, JUFFUREH AND BINTA 
-    THE MECHANICS OF THE COUNT 
-    WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS SAID 
-    STUNNINGLY GRACIOUS MAJOR OPPOSITION CONCESSION 
 
1.  WE DEPLOYED A TEAM OF SIX IEC-ACCREDITED 
ELECTION OBSERVERS FOR THE OCTOBER 18 POLL.  WE 
CONTRIBUTED OUR CDA, IROG, GSO, OUR PROGRAM 
COORDINATOR AND OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT. IN THEIR 
CONTINUING TRADITION OF UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR 
US, EMBASSY DAKAR CONTRIBUTED THE DATT.  CDA AND OUR 
POLITICAL ASSISTANT COVERED THE WEST COAST AND THE 
INDEPENDENCE STADIUM COUNTING CENTER IN BAKAU 
(BANJUL) ON OCTOBER 18.  IROG COVERED THE FIVE FONI 
DIVISIONS AND THE BWIAM COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER 
16-19.  GSO COVERED THE THREE KIANG DIVISIONS AND 
THE KWINELLA COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER 16-19. 
THE DATT COVERED ILLIASA DIVISION AND THE FARAFENNI 
COUNTING CENTER FROM OCTOBER 17-19.  OUR PROGRAM 
COORDINATOR COVERED BIJILO (THE SUBURBAN BANJUL 
POLLING STATION THAT HAD THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF 
VOTERS REGISTERED IN A SINGLE POLLING STATION IN THE 
COUNTRY), AND CROSSED THE RIVER TO COVER ALBREDA, 
JUFFUREH AND BINTA KINTEH ON OCTOBER 18.  EACH TEAM 
PICKED ONE POLLING STATION TO OBSERVE OPEN AND 
CLOSE, AND THEN TO FOLLOW TO THE RESPECTIVE COUNTING 
CENTER. 
 
2.  OVER 80 PERCENT OF THE 509,395 REGISTERED VOTERS 
VOTED DURING THE OCTOBER 18 POLL.  THESE VOTERS 
UTILIZED 811 POLLING STATIONS.  VOTING TOOK PLACE 
FROM 0700-1600. THE VOTES CAST IN THESE 811 POLLING 
STATIONS WERE COUNTED IN GROUPS CORRESPONDING TO THE 
48 CONSTITUENCIES IN THE COUNTRY, AT 28 COUNTING 
CENTERS.  THE RESULTS FROM THESE COUNTING CENTERS 
WERE TRANSMITTED TO 7 COLLATION CENTERS 
CORRESPONDING TO THE 7 ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS IN THE 
COUNTRY.  EACH COLLATION CENTER REPORTED THEIR 
RESULTS TO IEC HEADQUARTERS IN BANJUL, WHERE THEY 
WERE ANNOUNCED AS RECEIVED BY IEC DIRECTOR GABRIEL 
ROBERTS.  PRESIDENT JAMMEH AND THE APRC RECEIVED 
242,302 VOTES (52,96 PERCENT), OUSANINOU DARBOE AND 
THE UDP COALITION RECEIVED 149,448 VOTES (32.67 
PERCENT), HAMAT BAH AND THE NRP RECEIVED 35,671 
VOTES (7.8 PERCENT), SHERIFF DIBBA AND THE NCP 
RECEIVED 17,271 VOTES (3.78 PERCENT) AND SIDIA 
JATTA AND THE PDOIS RECEIVED 13,841 VOTES (3.03 
PERCENT). 
 
3.  THE FOLLOWING PERSONS WERE AUTHORIZED TO BE 
PRESENT IN A POLLING STATION DURING THE POLL: 
POLLING STATION STAFF (CONSISTING OF A PRESIDING 
OFFICER (PO), AN ASSISTANT PRESIDING OFFICER (APO) 
AND TWO POLICE OFFICERS ASSIGNED AS SECURITY), 
POLLING AGENTS FROM ALL FIVE POLITICAL PARTIES, 
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS AND CREDENTIALED PRESS. 
UPON ARRIVAL BEFORE THE 0700 STARTING TIME, ANY OF 
THE ABOVEMENTIONED PRESENT WERE TO INSPECT THE 
VOTING DRUMS.  EACH DRUM WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN TO 
SHOW THAT IT WAS EMPTY.  THE ASSISTANT PRESIDING 
OFFICER THEN PLACED SAND IN THE VOTING DRUM, FOR 
STABILITY.  WHILE OTHER POLLING STATION STAFF AND 
OTHER AUTHORIZED PERSONS WATCHED, THE PRESIDING 
OFFICER SEALED EACH VOTING CAN WITH NUMBERED RED 
PLASTIC SEALS AND LINKED ALL OF THE CANS TOGETHER 
WITH A METAL WIRE.  THE CANS WERE LINKED TOGETHER IN 
ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY NAME OF THE CANDIDATE (BAH OF 
THE NRP, DARBOE OF THE UDP COALITION, DIBBA OF THE 
NCP, JAMMEH OF THE APRC AND JATTA OF THE PDOIS). 
VOTING OFFICIALS RECORDED THE NUMBERS ON THE SEALS 
BEFORE THE VOTING CANS WERE TAKEN INSIDE THE VOTING 
ROOM. 
 
AS PER IEC REGULATIONS, THE VOTING CANS WERE COLOR- 
CODED ACCORDING TO POLITICAL PARTY (UDP YELLOW, APRC 
GREEN, NRP BLUE, PDOIS BROWN AND NCP WHITE). 
PICTURES OF THE POLITICAL CANDIDATES WERE AFFIXED TO 
THE VOTING CANS ALONG WITH THEIR NAMES AND 
CORRESPONDING POLITICAL PARTY SYMBOLS. 
 
THE ACTUAL VOTING AREA WAS A ROOM OR AN ENCLOSED 
AREA OUTSIDE THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR VOTING 
PURPOSES.  THE VOTING CANS WERE PLACED ON A TABLE IN 
THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA.  IN ORDER TO 
MAINTAIN PRIVACY DURING VOTING THERE WERE SHEETS 
PLACED ON THE WINDOWS AND THE ENTRANCE OF ROOMS, OR 
POLLING STATION STAFF GUARDED THE ENTRANCE TO THE 
ENCLOSED AREA. 
 
ONCE A VOTER ARRIVED, S/HE PRESENTED HIS/HER VOTER 
REGISTRATION CARD TO THE APO.  THE APO CALLED OUT 
THE VOTER'S NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER.  THE 
POLLING AGENTS CONFIRMED THAT THE PERSON WAS ON THE 
POLLING STATION REGISTRATION LIST PROVIDED BY THE 
IEC.  THE VOTER'S INDEX FINGER WAS DIPPED INTO 
PURPLE INK.  THE APO GAVE THE PO THE VOTER'S VOTER 
REGISTRATION CARD.  THE PO VERIFIED THAT THE PICTURE 
ON THE CARD CORRESPONDED TO THE PERSON PRESENT. 
AFTER RE-CONFIRMING THE VOTER'S IDENTITY, THE PO 
GAVE THE VOTER A YELLOW MARBLE AND ALLOWED HIM/HER 
TO ENTER THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA.  THE APO, PO 
AND POLLING AGENTS WERE GENERALLY SEATED NEXT TO THE 
ENTRANCE OF THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA.  VOTERS 
PLACED THEIR MARBLE IN A TUBE ON THE CAN 
CORRESPONDING TO THEIR CANDIDATE.  AS THE MARBLE 
WENT DOWN THE TUBE INTO THE CAN, IT RANG A BELL, 
SIGNIFYING THAT A VOTE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY CAST. 
THE PO LISTENED FOR THE BELL TO RING WHILE THE OTHER 
VOTING OFFICIALS CONTINUED TO PROCESS PEOPLE IN THE 
LINE.  AFTER THE BELL RANG IN THE VOTING 
ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA, THE VOTER EXITED, AND THE PO 
RETURNED HIS/HER VOTER REGISTRATION CARD.  THE PO 
THEN INSTRUCTED THE VOTER TO LEAVE THE ROOM/AREA. 
 
4. IROG NOTED THAT IEC OFFICIALS AND PARTY AGENTS IN 
THE FONI REGION SEEMED TO BE DOING THEIR BEST TO 
KEEP VOTING ORDERLY DESPITE THEIR EGREGIOUS LACK OF 
PREPARATION, ORGANIZATION, TRAINING, COMMUNICATION, 
AND MATERIALS.  WIDESPREAD INCONSISTENCIES 
UNDERMINED THE SECURITY AND UNIFORMITY OF THE 
PROCESS.  THE AREA RETURNING OFFICERS (ARO), WHO 
WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE MATERIALS AND DEFINITIVE 
ANSWERS, SEEMED TO BE SPREAD TOO THIN OVER LARGE 
AREAS, AS THEY WERE NEVER AROUND WHEN THE POS NEEDED 
THEIR SERVICES. 
 
AMONG 15 POLLING STATIONS, IROG NOTED AT LEAST THREE 
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CONTROVERSIAL RULE 
ON THE PROCEDURE FOR VOTERS WHO HAD CARDS BUT WERE 
NOT ON THE REGISTRATION LIST.  AT LEAST 5 POLLING 
STATIONS WERE NOT ABLE COMPLETELY SEAL THE BALLOT 
DRUMS.  AT THE SIBANOR COUNTING CENTER AT BWIAM, ONE 
CONSTITUENCY FOLLOWED IEC RULES TO THE LETTER, WHILE 
THE AROS FOR THE OTHER CONSTITUENCY DID NOT SEEM TO 
KNOW ANY OF THE RULES FOR COUNTING. 
 
VOTERS WERE PATIENT AND CALM IN LINE AND IN  POLLING 
STATIONS DESPITE EXTREME HEAT, WAITING PERIODS OF UP 
TO FOUR HOURS, AND CONFUSION ABOUT RULES AND 
PROCEDURES.  DESPITE THE OBVIOUS HOLES IN THE VOTING 
PROCESS, IROG SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT THOSE HOLES WERE 
MALICIOUSLY EXPLOITED TO MANIPULATE THE RESULTS. 
 
THE ATMOSPHERE IN FONI WAS SO STUBBORNLY PRO-JAMMEH 
THAT IT SEEMS DOUBTFUL THAT AN OPPOSITION SUPPORTER 
WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE VOICING HIS OPINION. 
MOREOVER, KNOWING HOW MANY OF HIS FELLOW VILLAGERS 
WOULD VOTE FOR JAMMEH, ANYONE VOTING FOR ANOTHER 
CANDIDATE WOULD KNOW HIS SINGLE VOTE IN THE BALLOT 
DRUM WOULD STAND OUT. 
 
5.  CDA AND OUR POLITICAL ASSISTANT COVERED THE WEST 
COAST (THE NICKNAME FOR THE GAMBIA'S WESTERN 
DIVISION, AS WELL AS THE NAME OF THE GAMBIA'S MOST 
POPULAR RADIO STATION, BROADCAST ON 95.3 FM), WHICH 
INCLUDED POLLING STATIONS IN KANIFING, KOTU, KOLOLI, 
LAMIN, BAKAU, CAPE POINT, BRUFUT, FAJARA, GUNJUR AND 
KARTUNG ON OCTOBER 18.  WE CHOSE THIS AREA BECAUSE 
THERE WERE FEARS THAT FOREIGNERS OF PRESIDENT 
JAMMEH'S DJOLA ETHNIC GROUP WOULD ATTEMPT TO USE 
FALSE VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE FOR HIM IN 
THESE POROUS BORDER AREAS. 
 
GAMBIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY AND POLICE OFFICIALS HAD 
ANNOUNCED THAT SOLDIERS WOULD BE CONFINED TO THEIR 
BARRACKS ON OCTOBER 18 (SINCE SECURITY WOULD BE 
PROVIDED BY THE POLICE), SO WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE 
UNIFORMED SOLDIERS AT THE FAJARA, BAKAU AND CAPE 
POINT POLLING STATIONS.  INQUIRIES TO THE RESPECTIVE 
COMMANDERS ELICITED THE INFORMATION THAT ANY SOLDIER 
PRESENT AT A POLLING STATION WAS REGISTERED THERE 
AND SOLELY AT THAT STATIONS TO VOTE.  WE VERIFIED 
THAT ALL THE SOLDIERS THAT WE SAW AT THE THREE 
POLLING STATIONS WERE ALL REGISTERED VOTERS THAT ALL 
VOTED AND LEFT PROMPTLY AFTER DOING SO. 
 
THE IEC DID NOT REVERSE THEIR DECISION TO RESTRICT 
VOTING TO VOTERS LISTED AT THEIR RESPECTIVE POLLING 
STATION WHO HAD CORRESPONDING VOTER REGISTRATION 
CARDS, ALTHOUGH THEY DID ALLOW IEC WORKERS WITH 
VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE WHEREVER THEY WERE 
ASSIGNED.  AS A RESULT, WE DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE 
OR RECEIVE ANY REPORTS OF FOREIGNERS USING FALSE 
REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE.  CDA NOTED SEVERAL WOMEN 
IN LINE NURSING THEIR CHILDREN WHILE WAITING, AS 
WELL AS SEVERAL VOTERS WHO STOOD ON LINE WITH THEIR 
LIVESTOCK... 
 
6.  AS THE GAMBIAN GOVERNMENT HAD ANNOUNCED THAT 
THEIR LAND BORDERS WOULD BE CLOSED FROM OCTOBER 17- 
19, WE ASKED OUR DATT TO COVER ILLIASA DIVISION.  AN 
OPPOSITION STRONGHOLD AS WELL AS CONTAINING THE MAIN 
UPCOUNTRY ROAD/FERRY CROSSING AT FARAFENNI, ILLIASA 
ALSO HOSTS THE MAJOR UPCOUNTRY MILITARY BARRACKS AND 
CUSTOMS POST.  IN LINE WITH OUR OTHER OBSERVERS, THE 
DATT NOTED THAT THE VOTING PROCESS WENT MORE OR LESS 
SMOOTHLY, WITH HIGH VOTER TURNOUT AND VOTERS 
PATIENTLY WAITING IN LONG LINES WHICH WERE IN 
EVIDENCE BY 0615 IN THE MORNING.  THE BORDER 
REMAINED HERMETICALLY SEALED THROUGHOUT THE 
ANNOUNCED PERIOD, FREEING THE NUMEROUS CUSTOMS 
OFFICIALS IN THE REGION TO PERFORM THEIR CIVIC DUTY 
WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING CALLED IN TO WORK.  THE DATT 
DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OR RECEIVE ANY REPORTS OF 
FOREIGNERS USING FALSE REGISTRATION CARDS TO VOTE IN 
THIS HEAVILY-TRANSITED AREA. 
 
7.  WE SENT OUR GSO TO THE OTHER OPPOSITION 
STRONGHOLD OF KWINELLA, THE NEXUS OF KIANG CENTRAL 
DIVISION.  THERE WERE VASTLY MORE WOMEN VOTING IN 
THIS DIVISION THAN MEN.  THIS DISCREPANCY WAS 
EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT MOST MEN IN THE DIVISION 
WORKED IN THE GREATER BANJUL AREA, AND HAD CHANGED 
THEIR REGISTRATION ACCORDINGLY.  IN ADDITION TO 
STRICTLY ADHERING TO VOTING PROCEDURES, OUR GSO 
NOTED THAT EACH POLLING STATION HAD DESIGNATED ONE 
OF THEIR POLICE OFFICERS TO ASSIST VOTERS WHO WERE 
ELDERLY/DISABLED OR OTHERWISE NEEDED ASSISTANCE 
TO/FROM (BUT NOT INTO) THE VOTING ROOM/AREA.  HE SAW 
NO OTHER OBSERVERS OR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 
POLLING STATIONS HE VISITED.  GSO ALSO NOTED THAT 
ALL VOTERS IN THIS AREA WERE DRESSED IN THEIR 
FINEST, COMMENSURATE WITH THE IMPORTANCE THEY 
ATTACHED TO THE OCCASION... 
 
8. THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS AT BIJILO 
EXCEEDED 1,000.  TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LARGE NUMBER OF 
VOTERS, THE IEC DECIDED TO CREATE TWO POLLING 
STATIONS AT BIJILO PRIMARY SCHOOL.  THE POLLING 
STATIONS WERE LOCATED IN THE SAME SCHOOL BLOCK BUT 
SEPARATED BY A FEW CLASSROOMS.  OUR PROGRAM 
COORDINATOR (PC) OBSERVED THAT VOTERS APPEARED 
CONFUSED BY THIS ARRANGEMENT.  THE FIRST VOTES AT 
EACH POLLING STATION WERE CAST AFTER 0700, BUT 
BEFORE 0800.  SHE NOTED THAT VOTING WENT ON AT A 
BRISK PACE UNTIL SHE LEFT AT 1015 TO TRAVEL TO 
ALBREDA BY BOAT.  SHE RETURNED TO BIJILO AT 1530 TO 
OBSERVE THAT BOTH POLLING STATIONS CLOSED ON TIME. 
 
ARRIVING AT THE ALBREDA DOCK AT 1200, OUR PC WAS 
STRUCK BY THE SEA OF GREEN WHICH GREETED HER.  THERE 
WERE LARGE GREEN FLAGS FLYING IN FRONT OF HOUSES AND 
SHOPS ALL THE WAY UP THE HILL TO THE POLLING 
STATION.  THE PERSON WHO GUIDED HER FROM THE DOCK TO 
THE POLLING STATION VOLUNTEERED THAT ALBREDA AND 
JUFFUREH WERE APRC STRONGHOLDS. 
 
THE POLLING STATION (NORMALLY USED AS A COMMUNITY 
HEALTH CENTER) WAS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS A VOTING 
LOCATION.  ONCE INSIDE THE COMPOUND, THE POLICE 
ASSIGNED TO THIS POLLING STATION DIRECTED OUR PC  TO 
THE VOTING AREA.  ALBREDA IS ONE OF THE FEW POLLING 
STATIONS WHERE A TEAM MEMBER MET REPRESENTATIVES OF 
ALL FIVE POLITICAL PARTIES.  THE POLLING STAFF 
APPEARED WELL ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT THEIR DUTIES 
IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. IN RESPONSE TO HER 
INQUIRY, POLLING STAFF STATED THAT VOTING HAD TAKEN 
PLACE WITHOUT INCIDENT. VOTING BEGAN PROMPTLY AT 
0700, AND ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LONG LINES, EVERYONE 
COOPERATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.  STAFF HAD 
NOT COME ACROSS ANY VOTERS WHO WERE NOT PROPERLY 
REGISTERED TO VOTE. OUR PC WAS HEARTENED BY WHAT SHE 
SAW AT THIS POLLING STATION. 
 
BEFORE DEPARTING FROM THE ALBREDA DOCK, OUR PC 
WALKED TO JUFFUREH (ABOUT 10 MINUTES AWAY) TO ELICIT 
BINTA KINTEH'S THOUGHTS ON THE POLL.  MS. KINTEH 
CLAIMS TO BE THE OLDEST LIVING PERSON IN THE 
ALBREDA/JUFFUREH AREA, AS WELL AS A RELATIVE OF 
KUNTA KINTEH (OF `ROOTS' FAME) AND FORMER U.S. 
AMBASSADOR TO THE GAMBIA GEORGE HALEY.   MS. KINTEH 
STATED THAT SHE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE 
TO VOTE AND NOTED THAT SHE AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS HAD 
VOTED EARLIER IN THE DAY (THEY DIDN'T SAY WHO THEY 
HAD VOTED FOR).  THEY PROUDLY DISPLAYED THEIR PURPLE 
FINGERS TO OUR PC TO PROVE IT.  MS. KINTEH 
ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT SHE FELT THAT VOTING IN HER 
AREA HAD TAKEN PLACE IN A FAIR AND PEACEFUL MANNER. 
OUR PC AND MS. KINTEH ENDED THEIR CONVERSATION BY 
WISHING EACH OTHER WELL. 
 
9. THE SURPRISING EASE OF THE POLL DID NOT EXTEND TO 
THE COUNT.  POLLING STATIONS OBSERVED STOPPED 
ACCEPTING NEW VOTERS MORE OR LESS AT OR AROUND 1600. 
HOWEVER, THEY THEN ALLOWED ANY VOTER PRESENT TO 
COMPLETE THE VOTING PROCESS, WHICH, IN SOME CASES, 
TOOK UP TO THREE MORE HOURS.  THE PO, APO AND 
POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS THEN CARRIED THE VOTING CANS 
OUTSIDE THE VOTING ROOM/ENCLOSED AREA.  IN THE 
PRESENCE OF THE POLICE, POLLING STAFF AND ANY OTHER 
AUTHORIZED PERSONS PRESENT, THE PO SEALED THE VOTING 
CANS WITH A WHITE CARD AND A NUMBERED RED PLASTIC 
SEALS (FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE ON EACH CAN).  AT THIS 
POINT, THE PO BEGAN TO TALLY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE 
WHO HAD CAST BALLOTS.  THE PO CHECKED THE NUMBER OF 
MARBLES REMAINING AGAINST THE TOTAL NUMBER OF 
MARBLES ISSUED FOR THE POLLING STATION BY THE IEC. 
THE PO ALSO CHECKED THE NUMBER OF MARBLES USED 
AGAINST THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THE APO MARKED ON THE 
REGISTRATION LIST AS HAVING VOTED.  THE POLITICAL 
PARTY AGENTS ALSO CHECKED THEIR LISTS TO CONFIRM 
THAT THE NUMBERS WERE THE SAME.  THE TOTAL NUMBER OF 
REGISTERED VOTERS VERSUS THE NO-SHOW VOTERS WAS ALSO 
TALLIED.  ONCE THIS PROCESS WAS CONCLUDED, POLLING 
STAFF RECORDED ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION ON IEC 
FORMS.  THEN POLLING STAFF AND POLITICAL PARTY 
AGENTS WAITED FOR THE IEC-ASSIGNED ARO TO COME TO 
THE POLLING STATION WITH THE AUTHORIZED TRANSPORT TO 
THE COUNTING CENTER. 
 
ONCE THE ARO ARRIVED WITH APPROVED TRANSPORT (THE 
EARLIEST THIS TOOK PLACE WAS AT 1745 AT CDA'S 
POLLING STATION, WHERE VOTING ENDED ON SCHEDULE AT 
1600), THE VOTING CANS WERE PLACED IN IT.  THE CANS 
WERE THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE RELEVANT COUNTING 
CENTER IN THE SAME VEHICLE ACCOMPANIED BY ALL 
POLLING STAFF, POLITICAL PARTY AGENTS THAT WERE 
PRESENT (NORMALLY JUST FROM THE UDP AND APRC) AND 
THE POLICE ASSIGNED TO THE POLLING STATION.  THIS 
PROCESS WAS PATHOLOGICALLY DISORGANIZED THROUGHOUT 
THE COUNTRY, AND WAS THE MAJOR BASIS FOR THE MORE 
THAN 24-HOUR DELAY IN ANNOUNCING THE FINAL ELECTION 
RESULTS. 
 
CDA FOLLOWED THE VOTING CANS FROM HER CHOSEN POLLING 
STATION TO THEIR ASSIGNED COUNTING CENTER AT 
INDEPENDENCE STADIUM IN BAKAU (BANJUL).  HER POLLING 
STATION WAS THE FIRST TO TURN OVER ITS CANS AT 1755. 
THE PO (IN THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHER POLLING STAFF 
AND ACCOMPANYING POLITICAL PARTY REPRESENTATIVES) 
HANDED OVER THE VOTING CANS TO THE CONSTITUENCY IEC 
RETURNING OFFICER. 
 
ANOTHER MAJOR RESULTS-DELAYING FACTOR WAS THE FACT 
THAT THE RETURNING OFFICERS REFUSED TO COUNT THE 
RESULTS FROM POLLING STATIONS UNTIL ALL THE CANS 
FROM EACH CONSTITUENCY WERE PRESENT, RATHER THAT 
COUNT THEM AS THEY CAME IN.   COUNTING FOR JESHWANG 
DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL 2130, AFTER THE CANS FROM ALL 
THE 24 POLLING STATIONS IN THE CONSTITUENCY ARRIVED. 
COUNTING STARTED WITH THE CANS FROM CDA'S CHOSEN 
POLLING STATION, SINCE THOSE CANS HAD BEEN TURNED 
OVER FIRST.  THE COUNTING PROCESS WAS SYSTEMATIC, 
ORDERLY, TRANSPARENT AND ACCURATE, INCLUDED A 
CHALLENGE FROM THE APRC PARTY REPRESENTATIVE 
(LOOKING FOR 6 NON-EXISTENT ADDITIONAL VOTES) AND 
ENDED AT 2200. 
 
ONCE ALL OF THE POLLING STATIONS HAD BEEN COUNTED 
(AT 1030 ON OCTOBER 19 FOR JESHWANG, SIMILARLY FOR 
THE OTHERS OBSERVED BY THE TEAM), THE RESULTS WERE 
ENTERED ON AN IEC FORM AND THEN TAKEN TO THE 
COLLATION CENTER, WHICH WAS IN CDA'S CASE 
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN ANOTHER ROOM AT THE STADIUM. 
FROM THERE, THE RESULTS WERE FAXED TO IEC 
HEADQUARTERS AT 1100 ON OCTOBER 19.  IEC DIRECTOR 
GABRIEL ROBERTS THEN OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THE 
RESULTS AT 1400 ON OCTOBER 19. 
 
10.  INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS WERE UNIFORM 
IN EXPRESSING THEIR GENERAL SATISFACTION WITH THE 
CONDUCT OF VOTING ON OCTOBER 19.  THERE WERE OVER 
100 INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS PARTICIPATING IN THE 
POLL, INCLUDING OUR SIX.  DR. JACKIE DUGARD OF THE 
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT (WHO FIELDED ABOUT 25 
OBSERVERS) STATED THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED AAT HOW 
WELL EVERYTHING HAD GONE.  SRSG JAMES GBEHO, 
CURRENTLY AN INDEPENDENT MP IN GHANA, CONGRATULATED 
THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE ON A JOB WELL DONE.  EU RESREP 
GEORGE-MARC ANDRE STATED THAT HIS OVERALL IMPRESSION 
OF THE POLL WAS POSITIVE.  UN RESREP JOHN KAKONGE 
STATED THAT THE FLAWS HE OBSERVED DID NOT PERTAIN TO 
THE ACTUAL POLLING OR COUNTING PROCESS.  PURPORTED 
WORLD CONFERENCE OF MAYORS REPRESENTATIVE USC JOHNNY 
FORD AND HIS TEAM REPORTEDLY `HIGH-FIVED' ALL THE 
GAMBIANS PRESENT IN THE BAR WHERE THEY HEARD THE 
OFFICIAL RESULTS ANNOUNCED, THEN STATED THAT THEY 
LOOKED FORWARD TO WORKING WITH A GAMBIA FREE OF 
OPPRESSIVE COLONIALST INFLUENCE... 
 
11.  IN A STUNNING SHOW OF ELECTORAL GRACE RARELY 
SEEN IN AFRICA OR ELSEWHERE, MAJOR CHALLENGER AND 
UDP OPPOSITION COALITION LEADER OUSAINOU DARBOE (WHO 
POLLED 32.67 PERCENT OF THE VOTE) CALLED PRESIDENT 
JAMMEH DURING THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 19 TO CONCEDE 
DEFEAT.  DARBOE THEN CONVENED A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 
HIS HOME TO ANNOUNCE HIS CONCESSION.  HE STATED THAT 
HIS CONCESSION IN NO WAY SUGGESTED THAT THE ELECTION 
WAS FLAWLESS, RATHER IT SUGGESTED THAT AS A DEMOCRAT 
COMMITTED TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, HE RECOGNIZED 
THAT HE HAD LOST THE ELECTION AND WAS READY TO FOCUS 
HIS EFFORTS ON THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS SCHEDULED 
FOR SPRING 2002, IN WHICH HE EXPECTS THAT THE 
COALITION WILL WIN A MAJORITY.  THIS SENTIMENT WAS 
ECHOED TO CDA BY HIS CHIEF LIEUTENANT, M. DIALLO, AT 
A RECEPTION FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS 
HOSTED BY THE UK HIGH COMMISSIONER THE EVENING OF 
OCTOBER 19. 
 
12.  WE SHALL PROVIDE OUR COMMENTS SEPTEL. 
 
 
TITUS