Gambia’s president demands new election after loss

By Alpha Kamara

DAKAR, Senegal

Longtime controversial Gambian President Yayah Jammeh on Friday rejected the results of the presidential election held earlier this month, raising the potential for tensio across the country.

Jammeh accused the election commission of irregularities and malpractice, in a nationally televised address.

“Certain figures were inadvertently transposed. Instead of adding the total number of votes for [President-elect Adam] Barro in the Basse area and other areas, the IEC [Independent Elections Commission] made several errors in several areas,” he said.

Jammeh said all the political parties were called to the IEC and informed of errors by the commission, suggesting incompetence on the part of the agency.

“On this note, I want to make it very clear that on the same vein that I accepted the results hoping that it was genuine, I am rejecting it in its entirety,” Jammeh said. “I will not accept the results because of the fraud that happened.

“Our investigations also revealed that in some cases, voters were told that the opposition has already won and there was no need for them to vote and so they returned home without voting,” he added.

Jammeh said he has forgiven the “nasty things” said about his mother during the campaign. “But let me make it clear, such attacks will not be tolerated,” he said.

“Until the next time we go to the polls, this is the end of this elections chapter,” had added.

Barry responded to Jammeh on social media. “The Gambian people made their decision," he said on Twitter as the foreign affairs minister of neighboring Senegal urged respect for the will of the Gambia’s voters.

“President Jammeh's proposal is s tarnish to our Democracy,” Mankeur Ndiaye said via Twitter.

Some Gambians believe Jammeh’s announcement will lead to chaos and violence.

“I am afraid our country is gradually moving to civil crisis,” one person who preferred to remain anonymous for security reason told Anadolu Agency. He said 22 years of rule by Jammeh has been framed by human rights violations and disregard for the rule of law but, now the president wants democracy. “We are not fools,” he said.