The Pan African Electoral Observer Mission has expressed satisfaction with the recently concluded presidential elections in The Gambia.
The Gambia went to the polls on December 1st, 2016 and elected a new president Adama Barrow bringing an end to the 22 years rule of Yahya Jammeh.
At a press briefing on Monday, Mr. Mahamat Souleymane Doukhane, Chief of Mission of the Pan-African Corps of Election Observers described The Gambia’s election free and fair.
“We have noted with great satisfaction the results issued from the polls, which are the fruits of maturity of sovereign Gambian people that have expressed freely their will without pressure and discrimination,” he said.
According to him, as international election observers, they were satisfied with the concede of defeat by the incumbent before the announcement of results. He hailed the manner in which the results were officially declared adding that the election was conducted according to international standards.
He urged the political stakeholders to jealously safeguard the peace and national unity that prevail in the country.
“It was a win-win situation for the gallant sons of The Gambia mapping a positive point in the democratization process in the Gambia,” he said, calling on the country’s political actors to work together for the new era in the country.
Doukhane encouraged the values of dialogue in any reform in order to consolidate peace. He also made recommendation to open up the electoral process for Gambians in the diaspora to participate in future election.
