ECOWAS, AU, UN congratulate Gambian president-elect, Adama Barrow
The ECOWAS Commission, the African Union and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) have congratulated the President-elect of The Gambia, Mr. Adama Barrow on his stunning victory in the December 1 presidential election. The three bodies, in a joint statement issued on Saturday, also hailed the incumbent Yahya Jammeh for […]
The ECOWAS Commission, the African Union and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) have congratulated the President-elect of The Gambia, Mr. Adama Barrow on his stunning victory in the December 1 presidential election.
The three bodies, in a joint statement issued on Saturday, also hailed the incumbent Yahya Jammeh for gracefully conceding defeat.
Jammeh, who has ruled the tiny West African nation for 22 years, lost the Thursday’s election to a property developer, Barrow, who won more than 45% of the vote.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to West Africa and Sahel commended "the people of The Gambia for peaceful, free, fair and transparent presidential election, which was in line with the provisions of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance."
They also hailed the country’s Independent Electoral Commission for its relentless efforts to ensure a successful and smooth electoral process.
According to the statement, ECOWAS, AU and UN, expressed satisfaction with the maturity, calm and dignity with which the Gambian nation has conducted a peaceful, credible and uncontested presidential election.
"We stand in solidarity with the government and the people of The Gambia to ensure constitutional and legal transition and peaceful transfer of power.
"It is the wish of the International Community that the newly elected President will engage the citizenry to combat poverty by putting in place the needed programmes necessary for creating jobs for the teeming youths for a sustainable economic development," the statement added.