Adama Barrow has been sworn-in as the President of The Gambia. His swearing in took place at the Gambia’s Embassy in Dakar on Thursday.
Mr. Barrow has been living in Senegal for the past few days following political crisis in The Gambia, because Yahya Jammeh who lost in the country’s election to Barrow on December 1, 2016, has refused to step down despite conceding defeat.
Mr. Barrow in his inaugural speech said, “This is a victory for the Gambian nation. Power belongs to the people in The Gambia. This is a day no Gambian will ever forget; first time since The Gambia became independent that it’s changed a government through the ballot box,” Barrow said.
He thus called on the international community to help force out Mr. Jammeh.
“My right as the winner to be sworn in and assume the office President is constitutionally guaranteed and irreversible. I hereby make a special appeal to ECOWAS, AU and the UN, particularly the Security Council to support the government and the people of The Gambia in enforcing their will and restore their sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy.”
Several efforts by ECOWAS leaders to have Mr. Jammeh step down have been fruitless.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barrow was sworn into office by the head of the Gambian Bar Association.
Several dignitaries from ECOWAS and AU were at the function.
Background
Mr. Jammeh had said there were irregularities in the election held on December 1 2016, and that some of his supporters were turned away from polling stations.
He also complained about some errors made by the Electoral Commission. The Commission accepted that, some of the results it initially published contained errors, but said Mr. Barrow had still won.
Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held. He had The Gambian Parliament extend his tenure by 90 days and further declared a state of emergency.
ECOWAS however sent troops to the country to enforce rule of law in The Gambia.
Barrow will struggle if military ousts Jammeh – MFWA
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) had earlier observed that The Gambia’s president-elect Adama Barrow will struggle to govern, if embattled President Yahya Jammeh is forcefully ejected by military assembled by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). According to the foundation, a lot of lives might also be lost.
Mr. Jammeh, whose mandate per the Gambia’s constitution should have ended at midnight on Wednesday, had that mandate extended by Parliament by 90 days.
