By Tabora Bojang
Three of the five defeated candidates; Ousainu Darboe of UDP, Mamma Kandeh of GDC and independent Essa Faal, have jointly issued a statement rejecting the election results.
Adama Barrow, the leader of the National People’s Party, emerged winner of Saturday’s president election, beating his political godfather Ousainu Darboe who finished a distant second.
However, even before a winner was declared, Faal and Kandeh met with Mr Darboe at his Fajara residence where he later read a statement on behalf his fellow defeated candidates.
“Considering that The Gambia has an electorate of approximately 900,000, with on-the-spot counting, we are concerned that there has been an inordinate delay in the announcement of results,” Darboe said. “Two, our agents and representatives have raised a number of issues at the polling stations and centres and at the IEC headquarters. As a result, the representatives of the aforementioned candidates at the IEC headquarters refused to endorse some of the results that were announced through the public media.”
Mr Darboe said such issues will be probed. “We are investigating this matter with our partners to determine our future course of action. At this point in time, we reject the results announced thus far by the IEC. We reserve the right to embark on any course of action the situation requires. To this end, all actions are on the table. In the meantime, we urge all Gambians to remain calm and peaceful while we continue our investigation of these concerns,” he added.
At the time of reading the statement, hundreds of supporters of Mr Darboe had gathered outside his residence chanting “ayeh ji, ayeh ji!” translating as “step down, step down!”
Riot police were noticed in the vicinity.
