- Seven out of 10 Gambians (71%) express support for a new national Constitution, while a quarter (24%) say there is no need for a new Constitution (Figure 1). ▪ Only minorities believe that the ruling National People’s Party (29%) and the opposition United Democratic Party (34%) are committed to giving the country a new Constitution (Figure 2).
- Two-thirds (67%) of Gambians “agree” or “strongly agree” that the rejected 2020 Constitution should be reintroduced to the National Assembly for amendment. Only three in 10 (29%) say the National Assembly was right to reject the Constitution proposed in 2020 (Figure 3).
- Almost nine out of 10 citizens (86%) favour a two-term limit on presidents (Figure 4). o Support for a presidential two-term limit has been consistently high since 2018 (Figure 5).
A majority of Gambians say the country needs a new Constitution, but many doubt the commitment of political parties to the process, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows.
Survey findings from April-May 2024 show that two-thirds of Gambians think the rejected 2020 Constitution should be reintroduced to the National Assembly for amendment. More than half believe the National Assembly was wrong in rejecting the 2020 draft Constitution.
Among key amendments that citizens are advocating in a reintroduced Constitution is the introduction of presidential term limits, a provision absent from the current 1997 Constitution. Survey findings show strong and consistent public support for imposing a two-term limit on the presidency.
On 14 August, the government announced the gazetting of Gambia’s 2024 Constitution as part of its renewed commitment to securing a new Constitution for the country.