(JollofNews) – The chairman of the Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said he is undecided about returning to work after the government lifted a two-week military blockage of his office.
Alieu Momarr Njie said he is consulting with members of his staff before a making a decision whether to return to work or not.
On December 13th, armed security forces took the over the headquarters of the electoral commission and barred staff from entering the building after President Yahya Jammeh refused to accept his loss in recent elections.
But on Wednesday the government said in a media statement that it was lifting the blockage and urged staffers to resume to work with “immediate effect”.
The government said it took the decision to shut down the commission head office due to an imminent security threat that ‘the building was going to be burnt down’. It did not name where the information came from or the person or group responsible.
“Now that the threat has abated, the IEC head office will reopen. However, there will be visible security presence around the compound,” the government said.
But responding to the media statement, Mr Njai said he is discussing with his colleagues to see whether they can return to work while there is a visible military presence at the building.
“For us we were surprised that they even closed the offices without giving us any reasons,” he said in an interview with the Dakar based West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR).
“Well there is this press release that we should return to work immediately. It came too late on Wednesday to alert all the staff to return to work on Thursday but we may be going to work God willing on Tuesday.
“I don’t know in the first instance why they closed the offices and now they are saying we can return to work but the military will be there. I will be discussing with my officials to see whether we will feel comfortable in an environment full of military officers.
“Who has the interest to blow the IEC building into ashes and why? Blowing the IEC was never going to change the results.”
Mr Njie is entitled to be concern indeed; especially when dealing with our MURDEROUS kanilai KILLER DEVIL whom everybody has reasons to be very weary of…
Mr Alieu Momar Njie is purportedly amongst the “those that were green yesterday” EVIL yaya DEVIL referred to “but are now changed yellow” because Mr Njie won’t bend to append for the resuscitation of the perishing EVIL kanilai IBLIZ(A) LUCIFER…
This is so as to be able to serve the pathetic aprc kangaroo election petition “courts” copy to the IEC which are FUTILE exercises ONLY for a DYING kanilai FIEFDOM anyway…
Long live the Gambia…
The explanation of a “security threat” doesn’t make sense, in light of their actions.
Hopefully, we will soon do away with these endless “security threats”.
One imagines the gambian military highly capable of protecting the iec building from threats of fire while work continued unabated.
One finds it hard to believe anything President Jammeh says these days.
We Gambians we are verry hangrey to mister yaya jammeh,plz jammeh excuse us,and we peace and love.we love it other OK.
Happy new year president Adams barrow
Mr Jammeh by unilaterally and illegally seizing the IEC building tainted any and all evidence that can possibly be in the building. The IEC Boss and staff must refuse to return to that building. Everything in the building has been tampered with and it is now Jammeh’s problem.
IEC Boss should instruct all his employees not to return to work until after the inauguration of President Elect Adama Barrow.
Yes Dr Isatou, i agree with you IEC boss and their staff should resume to the building until and after. Once the crook enter that building we should remember that crook jobs is to cook up evidents and mislead.
I mean should not resume.
The Presidential Election held on the 1st December, 2016 was indeed observed by our Organization who also was an accredited INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER GROUP was very transparent, credible and peaceful and our unbiased and independent OBSERVATION MISSION REPORT is avaliable
. According to the LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF THE GAMBIA the functions of the INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION is clearly started and functions of Candidates and Political Parties is also clearly understood.
All over the world when an ELECTORAL BODY that is legally constituted declares a winner in an election aggreived parties can address their concerns in a court of law but an INAGURATION OR SWEARING IN of the WINNER OF THE ELECTION cannot be stopped while litigation continues .
LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE OF THE GAMBIA, LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA.
VIVA AFRICA!