Gambians are voting on Saturday in an election for 53 parliamentarians for a five-year term.
Under the law, President Adama Barrow will pick five others, including the Speaker, to the 58-member House.
There were 246 candidates, including 19 women and 88 independent candidates, endorsed by the Independent Electoral Commission to contest the poll which opened at 08:00 GMT and will close at 17:00 GMT.
However, the IEC confirmed the withdrawal of four independent candidates and one People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) candidate from the contest.
The ruling National People’s Party will contest 35 of the 53 seats while the main opposition United Democratic Party will contest 38 seats.
The former ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) of former President Yahya Jammeh will contest five seats, the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), 16 seats while the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) will contest 20 seats. The Gambia Moral Congress will contest three seats, Citizens’ Alliance (CA) five seats, Gambia For All, three seats and People’s Progressive Party, one seat.
President Adama Barrow, who was on a nationwide campaign for NPP candidates, urged Gambians to come out and vote, noting that the elections are as important as the Presidential one which he won. He cast his vote at the McCarthy Square polling station in Banjul Central constituency at 11:00 GMT.
Ousainou Darboe, leader of United Democratic Party (UDP), in a radio broadcast on Saturday called on his supporters to turnout en masse and vote.
Darboe, whose party is yet to congratulate President Adama Barrow for the December 2021 presidential election on allegations of electoral fraud, called on all UDP members to turn upp and vote for candidates of the party.