(JollofNews) – Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow has again appealed to outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to step aside in the supreme interest of his people and safe the Gambia from civil strive.
Mr Barrow said Mr Jammeh’s refusal to step down will result in a military confrontation and the loss of lives and destructions of public and private properties.
President Jammeh’s mandate expired on Wednesday but he is refusing to relinquish power to Adama Barrow, who was declared winner of last month’s election.
He had vowed to cling to power after accusing the country’s electoral commission of rigging the election in favour of the opposition.
His attempt to overturn the election result at the Supreme Court has been delayed because of a shortage of judges as most of the judges come from neighbouring countries.
Mr Jammeh’s refusal to step down has open the door for a possible Senegal led military intervention to installed Mr Barrow.
Senegalese troops are stationed at the Gambian border and waiting for the green light to storm the small West Africa nation of less than two million people.
The threat of military action is supported by Nigeria and other states in the region.
But in a message delivered through his spokesman, Halifa Sallah, Mr Barrow who is due to be sworn-in this afternoon in neighbouring Senegal, said the Gambian people do not deserve to live in a country where properties are destroyed and blood flowing like a river.
“I don’t want to assume power stepping on dead bodies, looking at destroyed properties and blood flowing like a river. The Gambian people do not deserve that,” Mr Barrow said.
He therefore called on all Gambians both civilians and members of the armed forces to remain united irrespective of their ethnolinguistic differences and give the Gambia a new start.
Mr Barrow added: “For that to be possible, President Jammeh has to concede and transfer power as dictated by the constitution. There has been no threat from the coalition on the security and safety of Mr Jammeh. Rather he has been given the assurance by words and letter that he will be treated like the ex-President Jawara and will have the same privileges and rights as an ex-president of the Gambia.
“There is no treat to any civil servant or anybody in the security apparatus. What we have stated repeatedly is that the rights of all will be respected and prejudices will not give rise to government decision. The rule of law, good governance, human rights will be observed and democracy will thrive and the Gambian people and media will be given a new lease of life where they become the voices of the people amplified for government to become sensitive and responsive to the vital needs of the Gambian people.
“We are not threatening anyone but are designed to give the Gambia a new start and that is why President-elect Barrow was elected on an independent ticket so that he will not be a party president. The fundamental objective of the coalition was to separate party and state to make people the real owners of power which they can use to elect and remove their leader.”
There can never be power counterbalance in a constitutional democracy. We can only have one centre of power at a time whereas any other upsurging source of power is from a rebel leader who should should be treated as such.
What is really wrong with our African leaders? The moment they eat from the table of the state house, the whole of their DNA changes to match that of an animal I can’t even describe. No no no something is wrong. I think there must be a very powerful demon which is responsible for initiating our presidents into satanism. Today they are hailed for their heroic character, tommorow they balance off the equation with zeroic new character. Its high time the regional, continental and international blocs must rise up to the occasion and perform the functions they were formed for. If I had the powers I could have done it myself.
Power corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The best solution to these Political Impasse of The Gambia is simply for The Gambian Military Forces to arrest Yahya Jammeh and hand him over to The (ICC) immediately. His time is up, finished. This is for peace to reign.
Bravo to the coalition,i appreciate the continuos use of dialogue to get rid off the dictator.we understand your
Plight for the safety and security of the gambian people.
Yahya Jammeh feel he is strong than every human. He though that he supernatural. Let the military intervention take place and destroy Kanilai and state house. Let every civilian stay indoor. Most of all soldiers closed to dictator are killers and torture people very badly. Let the ecowas soldiers kill any one at state house.
He recruited rebel in cassamacy. He is behind all the problem in casamacy region. Let dictator jammeh go to hell.
The lives of Gambians, are worth more than tread from an indivual, embrace political Sports man ship and let go of your pride Jammeh. It is more honoroble to fail and work on your mistakes for a better tomorrow. than to die in pride. Africa is a great continent and the system of its governance is Democracy not an Autocratic, or monarchy rule . Do not take us back to the early 70s pleas mr past President. Ernest Philemon from Jos Nigeria.
The prompt responce of the sengal’s, Nigerian, and Ghana military Joint task force is and indication for a hopeful Africa, one life in Africa is worth more than a political tenure of a greed leader. The people of Africa are one, the culture is one, the Unity in our diversity is our goal. With the teaming support given to Adama Barrow, from the Gambians and the entire Africa he has no reason to failed. We entrust the Nation Gambia to your leadership may u excell. Ernest Philemon from Jos Nigeria
West Africans should be proud of men of the ESF. They should also do their best to live up to expectations. Their kind of dangerous job at the service of the whole sub-region is what can help bring about an enviroment of peace, traquility and progress to citizens of the Gambia, the region and the continent. As these soldiers are on an inevitable sub-regional mandate to install the will of the Gambian majority, I hope each an every soldier of the intervening forces will exemplify the upright posture of the Ecowas head of states’ leaderships.
The voices behind you (ESF) is surely Allah God s voice, I believe, you the sub-region’s shiney stars, will manhandle the misguided citizens of the Gambia and also of neighboring countries who are currently in the Gambia, running rebel.
May Allah God watch and guide over your lives, health and rightious mission. Amiiin Amen.
If the armed forces remove it peacefully phenomenal magnificent but ingragarlo to the false icc never neither this nor another African leader, why only we surrender our leaders to the targets if they will never do ???? For example Mr. Bush, Blair and Sarkozy have to be there will not and nobody will say piu just like nothing happened to Iraq Libya and now Syria ??? Shame !!! Ecowas and AU have to work to form own ICC
Gambia-Jammeh, Mr.Bush, Blair and Sarkozy is stupidly irrelevant. Capito.
Bush, Blair and Sarkozy foreign policies are reflected by constitutional decisions. Blair, Bush or Sarkozy would be impeached their first day in office if they just talk to their fellow citizens the way Jammeh talks to Gambians. He can say to them,” I will kill all of you, ‘a certain people’, and nothing will come of it”. Should Blair, Bush or Sarkozy be overheard talking in private like that much more address citizens of their respective countries by threatening them with genocide and ethnic cleansing?? The Icc so-called bias cannot be a justification of these ruthless, senseless and ravaging dictator’s crimes against their own fellow citizens domestically.
#peace=
JANUARY 19, 2017 AT 5:20 PM
If the armed forces remove him peacefully phenomenal magnificent but hand him to the false icc never neither this nor another African leader, why only we surrender our leaders to the targets if they will never do ???? For example Mr. Bush, Blair and Sarkozy have to be there will not and nobody will say piu just like nothing happened to Iraq Libya and now Syria ??? Shame !!! Ecowas and AU have to work hard to form own ICC for Africans
Military intervention is not d solution let us dialogue still hw n c wat will happen.jammeh always call for peace n security is d way for progress n y he insisting still nw bt i believe he will agreet basic on conditions
First. .
I don’t know why Africans leaders always like to put their subject in to disgrace and suffering. I think all men are born equally. President Jammeh, it is the people of Gambia gave you the power. Why can’t you give the power back to the person whom the has chosen. A word for a wise is quit sufficient
Interestingly power can be hypnotic, that he has to wait to be arrested at the statehouse!!!
There is more to this than meets the eye.Mr Barrow please give him immunity and let Gambia move on God is the Judge.
jammeh must be arrested for crimes he commited.the so called army should not shield a looser and a perpetrator of human right abuses.those that protect jammeh should be arrested as well.what is so special with jammeh clinging on power?