Gambia Opposition Parties Agree to Form Coalition Ahead of Vote

(Bloomberg) -- Opposition parties in the West African state of Gambia unanimously agreed to form a coalition and select one presidential candidate for elections scheduled for December.

The parties will meet Tuesday to agree on the process of selecting one nominee, said Halifa Sallah, the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism party.

The tiny state has been ruled by President Yahya Jammeh since a bloodless coup in 1994. His rule has been faulted by groups such as Amnesty International for alleged human-rights violations including unlawful arrests and unfair trials.

To contact the reporter on this story: Suwaibou Touray in Accra at stouray@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andre Janse van Vuuren at ajansevanvuu@bloomberg.net, Eric Ombok, Helen Nyambura-Mwaura