BANJUL, December 7, Reuters -- Gambia's newly re-elected president, Adama Barrow, said on Tuesday that his government plans to draft a new constitution that would introduce presidential term limits, but fell short of saying whether he personally would seek additional mandates.
Barrow won comfortably in the re-election on Sunday despite challenges from some opposition candidates who initially rejected the results. The poll was fair, according to election observers. In his first news conference since the election, Barrow said that a new constitution would restructure the polling process to include potential runoffs if no candidate wins 50% of the votes.
I promise Gambians and the world that my government will introduce a new constitution, which will include term limits and absolute majority, Barrow said.
Barrow, 56, will start his second five-year term on January 19 after being elected with 53% of Saturday's vote under the current simple-majority system.
He didn't say whether such term limits would be retroactive or whether they would allow him to seek additional terms after his current mandate ends.
The constitution, drafted in 1997 at the dawn of the oppressive 22 year rule by former President Yahya Jammeh, does not include term limits. Jammeh lost to Barrow in 2016 and was forced into exile later.
The new charter would prevent Barrow from using the new charter to reset his term count, because Gambia's parliament last year rejected a revised constitution that included a two-term limit.
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Banjul on Monday in support of three opposition candidates who said they would not accept Barrow's election victory. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowds. The peace-filled election was seen as a test of stability for the small West African country, as it solidifies its democratic gains since Jammeh's ouster.