Gambian Professionals Take On Defiant Jammeh

Statement by Gambian Professionals on President Jammeh’s Rejection of the 2016 Presidential Election Results

Fellow Gambians:

We are a group of concerned Gambian professionals mostly living or working abroad. Although we each sign this statement in our individual capacities, we are united in our love for the Gambia our homeland, by our commitment to legitimacy, respect for the rule of law, and the pre-eminence of the democratic will of our people.

In that regard, we unequivocally condemn the attempt by outgoing president Yahya Jammeh to annul the results of the 1 December elections by which the majority of the Gambian electorate expressed a clear and unambiguous desire for change by voting for Mr. Adama Barrow, the candidate of the coalition of opposition parties.

President Jammeh’s statement constitutes a blatant disregard for, and an attempt to subvert the democratic will of the Gambian people. It is yet another manifestation of his contempt for the Gambian constitution which clearly envisages a peaceful transfer of power to the winner of democratic elections. The December 1 elections were free, fair, transparent and credible by all international standards. They reflect the will of the Gambian people to elect Adama Barrow as President and put an end to tyranny, abuse of power and human rights violations over the past two decades.

As private citizens with a stake in the future of our country, we call on outgoing President Jammeh to reverse his statement, place the interest of the Gambia and her people above his self-interest, and oversee a peaceful and orderly transition of power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

We congratulate the law-abiding citizens of the Gambia for exercising their democratic rights in a peaceful manner and call on them to continue to jealously safeguard their constitutional rights and democratic choice. In that regard, we invite all civil and public servants, members of the security forces, university and school students, professional associations of lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants, business persons, NGOs, Muslim, Christian and other religious denominations, as well as private businesses to peacefully resist President Jammeh’s attempt to subvert their democratic will. In particular, we wish to remind our brothers and sisters in uniform of their solemn obligation to show fidelity to the Constitution, and to serve and defend the Gambia and her people without regard to political affiliation. Anyone who uses violence against the peaceful citizens of The Gambia will be held individually accountable for their actions.

We call on Gambians to stay at home and refrain from going to work or school until such time that outgoing President Jammeh reverses his decision and peacefully hands over power to President-elect Barrow.

Finally, we take this opportunity to express appreciation to the governments of Senegal and the United States of America, member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations for the support and solidarity they have shown to Gambians since outgoing President Jammeh chose to impose this undesirable crisis on our peace-loving people. We call on them to take all necessary measures under sub-regional and regional arrangements, as well as international law, to restore democracy and the rule of law to the Gambia by ensuring that the results of the 1 December elections are fully respected by all Parties.

We have no doubt that the Gambian people shall overcome this latest affront to their dignity and sovereignty.

Signed by the Gambian Professionals named below – 13 December 2016.