Gambia's election commission chief warns Jammeh

The Gambia’s electoral commission chief has warned President Yahya Jammeh that his bid to overturn the election result will not change the fact that he lost to Adama Barrow.

Alieu Momarr Njai told Reuters “if it goes to court, we can prove every vote cast”.

Yahya Jammeh said on Saturday that he he would challenge his defeat in the Supreme Court, alleging that the poll was marred by irregularities, a week after conceding defeat.

Meanwhile the opposition coalition has accused Jammeh of behaving like a dictator and not giving way to democracy, by challenging the election result.

“I couldn’t understand now why he is talking about going to court. I think he is just speaking but we as the alliance and the coalition are not going to accept anything short of Jammeh handing over to the president-elect on the day his presidential time expires, which will be around the 17th or 18th of January”, said Omar Jallow, leader of the opposition People’s Progressive Party. Jallow added, Jammeh’s actions were “nothing more than a coup d’etat.”

“The heads of the security agencies will realise that they are being paid by the state and they are employed by the state and they should owe allegiance to the constitution and to the state and not to an individual or a party. These are institutions that are supposed to outlive government and presidents because they are here to serve any government of the day that is elected to serve the people of the Gambia. Fortunately, all of them have made statements after the elections supporting and saying that they owe allegiance to the new president-elect, and they are going to work with him.

Jammeh has long had a troubled relationship with the international community due to accusations of human rights violations including the repression of political opposition and threats of violence and death against homosexuals.

Reuters