The Gambia's electoral commission announces 5 candidates for presidential poll

The Gambia's electoral commission on Thursday announced five official candidates for December presidential election, including incumbent Adama Barrow who is running for a third term despite initial promises not to do so.

The tiny west African country heads to the polls on December 5, with two weeks of campaigning set to start next Monday.

Beyond Barrow, the list includes the country's main opposition leader Ousainou Darboe and the popular youth candidate Talib Ahmed Bensouda, who until last week was mayor of a major Banjul suburb.

The government late last month accused Bensouda of financial impropriety, creating speculation he would be disqualified and mass protests would ensue.

Thursday's announcement, which formalises the nomination process, comes after the country's Independent Electoral Commission received 18 presidential nomination requests.

Over the course of 1.5 weeks, it met with each candidate to receive his or her paperwork.

It was not immediately clear if more candidates are still to be named.

Leading the list is President Barrow, who heads the National People's Party (NPP) and is running for a third term.

Running beyond two terms is allowed under the tiny west African country's 1997 constitution but many initially believed he would not do so.

After Barrow was elected in 2016, it was widely thought The Gambia would finally get a new constitution with presidential term limits.

However since then lawmakers have twice rejected draft constitutions that would have implemented such limits.

Barrow rose to power in 2016 beating longtime Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh in a surprise upset.

His election ended 22 years of rule by a regime accused of carrying out torture, using death squads and many other abuses.

Jammeh has been in exile in Equatorial Guinea since 2017, but he still has many supporters in his home country and often weighs in on its politics.

The opposition

The Gambia's main opposition leader, Ousainou Darboe, leads the United Democratic Party and is a former vice president.

He is running for president for a fifth time, having finished each prior race as runner-up.

Bensouda, the candidate popular with the country's youth, was a member of the UDP until last year, when he created his own party known as Unite.

Until last week he was the mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, an area on the outskirts of Banjul.

He has gained a large following among The Gambia's youth in recent months and his rallies have drawn large crowds, including in Barrow strongholds such as the Central River and Upper River regions.

He gained particular political traction as The Gambia was hobbled by prolonged blackouts starting in June, which led to several nights of chaotic, spontaneous protests in which demonstrators blocked roads and called for Barrow to step down.

Bensouda quit his post as mayor last Friday in order to better pursue his presidential bid.

He stepped down after a government report filed in late October recommended his removal from office and accused him of financial impropriety, allegations that could potentially have disqualified him from a presidential nomination.

His party called the report a "political manoeuvre".

Rounding out the nominee list were Isatou Touray, a physician and the country's first-ever woman presidential nominee, and Modou Lamin Sima, who represents the Alliance of Progressive Citizens (APC).