By Alhagie Jobe
The ECOWAS Commission, the African Union Commission and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) have jointly congratulated the people of The Gambia for a peaceful, free, fair and transparent presidential election held in the country on 1st December 2016 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.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to West Africa and Sahel also commend incumbent President Yahya Jammeh for gracefully conceding defeat. They also congratulated Adama Barrow for winning the presidential election.
Below is the full statement they issued;
The ECOWAS Commission, the African Union Commission and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) congratulate the people of The Gambia for peaceful, free, fair and transparent presidential election held in the country on 1st December 2016, 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.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Chairperson of the AU Commission and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to West Africa and Sahel commend His Excellency President Yahya Jammeh for gracefully conceding defeat, and also congratulate Mr. Adama Barrow for winning the presidential election.
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 further commend the Independent Electoral Commission, the people of The Gambia and the international community for their relentless efforts to ensure a successful and smooth electoral process.
They wish to express their satisfaction with the maturity, calm and dignity with which the Gambian nation has conducted a peaceful, credible and uncontested presidential election.
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 the Sahel 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.
