Jammeh begs ECOWAS chair to help get judges to sit on poll petition

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has begged the Liberian president and chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to help facilitate the release of judges to sit on the election petition filed by his party.

In a phone conversation that was shown on the public broadcaster Jammeh is heard impressing on the Liberian leader to help get judges to sit on the petition because, the only peaceful resolution to the post election impasse was the courts.

‘‘I hereby request you for ECOWAS to facilitate the release of the judges so that they can come and help us resolve constitutionally (through the constitution of the Gambia). As I said, the only peaceful resolution of this impasse is through the courts,’‘ he said.

SUGGESTED READING [Text] Jammeh talks law as he ‘begs’ ECOWAS to help solve impasse

#Jammeh telephone the Liberian Presi Johnson-Sirleaf to informed her that he filed an injunction to stop Pres-Elect #Barrow's inauguration pic.twitter.com/1XC4cBifvG

— Ansu (@nfansu) January 15, 2017

Jammeh added that a second legal challenge had been filed in respect of an injunction to restrain the Chief Justice and other assigns from swearing-in Adama Barrow on january 19. Jammeh argues that the Gambian constitution did not cast in stone the inauguration date hence his request for the status quo to remain until the court case is dispensed with.

Sirleaf in response to Jammeh entreated him to release a statement to the effect that he wanted a peaceful resolution to the issue. She said however that she will consult with other ECOWAS leaders on the request for judges.

Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, (APRC) on December 13 filed a petition in the Supreme Court requesting an annulment and rerun of the December 1 polls which he lost to opposition coalition candidate, Adama Barrow.