(JollofNews) – Gambia’s defeated President Yahya Jammeh remains in the country and will hand over power to president-elect Adama Barrow in January following a transition period, the communications minister said on Sunday.
Jammeh, who has ruled the West African nation for 22 years, has not been seen in public since he shocked observers by accepting his surprise loss in a Dec. 1 election on Friday, leading to rumours he had fled Gambia.
His defeat was met with wild celebrations this weekend but his absence prompted speculation that a man who scrapped constitutional limits on the length of his rule and has a firm grip on the military, might not keep his word.
“We are working on the transition now. They (Barrow’s coalition) will come and we will show them the ropes,” Information Minister Sheriff Bojang said in an interview.
“It will be the latter part of January,” Bojang said of the hand-over.
The outgoing president is currently in his residency at State House and will meet Barrow next week, he added. Gambian law calls for a 60-day transition period.
In a sign of growing confidence in the new political era, people tore down giant billboards wishing Jammeh “Happy 51st Birthday Mr. President” that had lined streets in Banjul.
Jammeh’s birthday was in May.
“I came here to witness this,” said Gibril Jaw, a tourist guide, standing in front of the torn posters. “Now there will be no more stress, no more scares, no more problems.”
The former British colony attracts thousands of British tourists to its beaches every year. But it has become increasingly estranged from the West in recent years amid tensions over allegations that Jammeh’s security forces have imprisoned and tortured opponents.
It withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2013 and in October Bojang announced the withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, calling it the “International Caucasian Court”.
But Barrow’s election has raised hopes of reforms, including the release of dozens of political prisoners, and closer relations with the West.
A Commonwealth spokesman said representatives from Barrow’s team had spoken with them and had “warm and friendly” discussions.
“Like every close knit family, our Commonwealth doors remain open and we look forward to continuing the conversation,” he said.
(Editing by Joe Bavier and Alexandra Hudson)
hello fellow Gambians,
Remember that God is watching over us in this crucial time of our lives. What is politics to destroy the lives of innocent people and their properties? If the contending parties cannot solve their problems peacefully then we the voters are ready to go back to the polls and vote transparently who we wish to work for us. message to Senegal and the ECOWAS, we do not wish to see anyone come in and destroy lives and properties in the name of intervention. We Gambian Voters are ready to sacrifice our hard earned incomes to go back to the polls rather to see the lives of our innocent people lost in the name of dirty politics. long live The Gambia long live the peaceful and tolerant and exceptional people of The Gambia. Gambians loves each other would not standby to see the politicians destroy lives and properties of our dear and peaceful motherland The Gambia.
Are you serious? So you just gonna go back to the pools because one party isn’t satisfied? Is that the precedent you wanna set in the Gambia? Oh please, let the results stand the way the people voted. No system is perfect but it was “the most transparent election ” Jammeh’s words. What if in the next five years Barrow loses, he’s simply gonna say ‘lets do it again’? That’s a joke.