BANJUL, The Gambia: Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has secured his re-election with a comfortable margin over his opposition in a vote that has set the bar for a new chapter in the small West African nation’s democracy.
Barrow won about 53% of the vote in Saturday’s election, according to Independent Electoral Commission results announced on Sunday. He easily defeated his main contender from the United Democratic Party, Osenou Darbo, who got around 28% of the vote.
It was the country’s first presidential election in decades that did not include former dictator Yahya Jammeh, who now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea after losing the 2016 election and refusing to accept defeat.
The President of the IEC, Aliyu Momar Naji, announced the results and prayed for peace in the country of about 2.4 million people.
I hereby declare Adama Barrow elected to serve as President of the Republic of The Gambia, he said, after pointing out that the National People’s Party (NPP) emerged victorious with 457,519 votes.
According to the results announced by the IEC, UDP Darbo was credited with 238,233 votes, and Mama Kandeh of the Gambia Moral Congress Party came third with 105,902 votes.
Demba Sabli, who represents the NPP in the election house, said the presidential election was transparent and fair.
He said that Gambia is the winner of this election.
However, the results have already been contested by four opposition leaders, including Darbo and Kandeh, who held a press briefing on Sunday to challenge the credibility of the vote. According to a statement from the parties, they were concerned over the excessive delay in the declaration of results.
Campaigner Banka Maneh told The Associated Press that he would not deprive opposition leaders of their rights to protest. But, he said, he needs to provide evidence for his claims. The courts are here to settle disputes.
Thousands of people celebrated Barrow’s re-election by storming the Westfield Youth Monument in the heart of Serekunda.
President Barrow is a peace loving person. We have to give him a chance to continue with his development projects, Modou Seise, 36, a resident of New Jeshwang, told the AP.
Conifing’s Fatou Fal told the AP that the Gambians did the right thing in giving Barrows a chance to complete the development projects they started.
Around 860,000 Gambians came to vote on Saturday, a high number that reflects a determination for many to exercise their democratic rights as the demand for justice has increased since the Jammeh era.
Barrow emerged victorious in 2016 as the candidate of an opposition coalition, which tested Jammeh’s 22-year rule. After initially agreeing to step down, Jammeh protested, and the six-week crisis saw neighboring West African countries preparing to send troops to intervene. Jammeh was forced into exile.
Jammeh’s two-decade rule was marked by arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and summary executions that were revealed through dramatic testimony during Truth, Reconciliation and Repair Commission hearings that lasted for years.
The second week, the commission submitted its 17-volume report to President Barrow, urging him to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations are prosecuted.
Barrow has vowed to fight for justice for the victims.
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AP writers Carly Petesh in Dakar, Senegal and Mustafa Jalo in Banjul, Gambia contributed.
Disclaimer: This post has been self-published from the agency feed without modification and has not been reviewed by an editor
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