Citizens' participation and transparent elections are becoming increasingly threatened by dangerous political actors around the world. However, recent democratic experiments in Africa provide important lessons about the opportunities and challenges that other countries, regions, and the international community must confront to avoid election hacking and achieve legitimate outcomes. After allegations of a rigging produced a political crisis in The Gambia's 2016 presidential race, the country avoided violent conflict by leveraging domestic mediation mechanisms alongside of international support. Come hear from the politician and scholar at the center of negotiating a resolution to the crisis, Honorable Halifa Sallah, the Spokesperson for Coalition 2016, a member of The Gambia's National Assembly for Sere Kunda Constituency, member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and former member of the Pan-African Parliament as he recounts these events and highlights how his 30 years fighting to improve political transition provide insights for other emerging democracies.

Mr. Halifa Sallah is a member of the National Assembly of The Republic of The Gambia, member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and former member of the Pan-African Parliament. He is a founding member and Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) political party.  Sallah is the author of “The Road to Self Determination and Independence,” and “Treatise on Founding a Federation of African Republics.” He is also the author of an incoming book “The Impasse” on the crises after the 2016 presidential election in The Gambia. 

For more information, please contact africa1@uw.edu