By ABDULHAKIM SHERMAN
newsdesk@reporter.co.ke
UN Security Council members have condemned outgoing President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia for rejecting results of the December 1, 2016 election.
The Security Council members said it was wrong for Jammeh to go against the decision of the Independent Electoral Commission that declared Adama Barrow the president-elect.
When the Gambia Independent Electoral Commission declared Adama Barrow the president-elect, Jammeh conceded defeat and pledged to preside over a smooth transition.
He has however, reneged on this pledge and demanded for fresh election claiming the December 1, 2016 election was flawed.
The members of the Security Council called on the support by the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWAS) and international partners, especially ECOWAS, to preserve stability in The Gambia and work towards the installation of a democratically elected Government in the country.
The Security Council members said in a terse statement: “In this regard the members of the Security Council strongly condemned the statement by the outgoing President of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia Mr. Yahya Jammeh on 9 December rejecting the December 1 official election results proclaimed by the Independent Electoral Commission and calling for new elections.”
The 15 Security Council members include five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly Angola (2016), Egypt (2017), Japan (2017), Malaysia (2016), New Zealand (2016), Senegal (2017), Spain (2016), Ukraine (2017), Uruguay (2017) and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) (2016).
The Security Council members commended the people of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia for the peaceful and transparent holding of elections on 1 December 2016.
In this regard the members of the Security Council strongly condemned the statement by the outgoing President of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia Mr. Yahya Jammeh on 9 December rejecting the December 1 official election results proclaimed by the Independent Electoral Commission and calling for new elections.
They called on him to respect the choice of the sovereign People of The Gambia, as he did on 2 December 2016, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr. Adama Barrow.
The members of the Security Council urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence and remain calm
The Members of the Security Council urged the outgoing President to carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process and they requested that the security of the president -elect Adama Barrow, and that of all Gambian citizen be fully ensured.
The members of the Security Council called on outgoing President Jammeh to respect the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on democracy and good governance and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, notably the rejection of unconstitutional changes of Government, and recalled the relevant provisions of Article 23 (4) of the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
The members of the Security Council urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence and remain calm.