Gambia: Police tear gas opposition supporters protesting poll results
Opposition supporters in The Gambia were dispersed with tear gas as they protest Saturday’s presidential election results.
The protesters had gathered outside the residence of opposition leader Ousainou Darboe.
Darboe is rejecting the election results after the electoral commission declared incumbent President, Adama Barrow as winner.
Barrow obtained around 53% of the vote against 28% for Darboe, the main opposition contender.
Before the police clashed with the opposition supporters, the veteran politician had appealed to supporters to avoid violence and follow legal procedures to proof their claim of electoral irregularities.
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Mr Darboe said his team is collecting evidence in order to pursue the matter in court should that become necessary.
The African Union election observers and other observers had said the election was conducted in a fair and transparent manner largely.
Ousainou Darboe, and two other candidates, Mama Kandeh and Essa Mbye Faal shortly before the final results were declared had said they would not accept the results.
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But one of them – Essa Mbaye Fall – has now congratulated Adama Barrow on his re-election.
Almost one million registered voters took part in Saturday’s election, the first since the exit of ex-leader Yahya Jammeh.
Adama Barrow came to power when he defeated Jammeh in 2016 as an opposition leader and decided to seek re-election despite promising not to do so.
President Barrow told his supporters during a victory speech in the capital Banjul, that there ought to be a unity between the country’s political factions.
“I call on all Gambians, irrespective of your political divide, to put aside our political and other differences and come together as one people to work towards the development of our country,” he said.
Source: Africafeeds.com
