- Title: Gambia's President Jammeh to challenge election loss at top court
- Date: 11th December 2016
- Summary: BANJUL, GAMBIA (DECEMBER 10, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF GAMBIAN PRESIDENT-ELECT ADAMA BARROW DRIVING PAST AFTER HOLDING A MEETING IN A HOTEL FOLLOWING PRESIDENT YAHYA JAMMEH'S DECISION TO ANNUL THE ELECTION / BARROW WAVING, PEOPLE APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BANJUL RESIDENT, BAGAN N'DJAI, SAYING: "You know, we want to be like the whole world, peaceful change. It's our country, it's our president. He rules us for 22 years. We say change, just change, so that we evolve the country. We say thank you to him, because he rules us for 22 years. He did good, he did bad, it's no problem. So we can tell him thank you for what you have done for us, so we should still keep him happy so that this country belongs to all of us. We should not see the tribe; we don't want to see tribal (conflict) it's not nice. So we want to congratulate him for his wonderful job (Jammeh) and go home and stay." WOMAN SITTING OUTSIDE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE STORE/TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE PASSING BY
- Embargoed: 26th December 2016 17:34
- Keywords: Gambia Banjul President Yahya Jammeh Adama Barrow opposition APRC
- Location: BANJUL, GAMBIA
- City: BANJUL, GAMBIA
- Country: Gambia
- Reuters ID: LVA0035CFVVIF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, who initially accepted his defeat in a Dec. 1 election before making a dramatic about-face, will challenge the poll result before the Supreme Court, the ruling party said in a statement on Saturday (December 10).
His loss to opposition candidate Adama Barrow, announced by the elections commission last week and followed by his rapid concession, had sparked hope for change in the tiny West African nation following 22 years of Jammeh's authoritarian rule.
However, in a move that drew widespread condemnation from the international community, the mercurial former coup leader on Friday (December 9) decried "serious and unacceptable abnormalities" and called for fresh polls.
In a statement broadcast on state television late on Saturday, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) said it was preparing a legal challenge to the result.
Meanwhile, Gambians took to the streets to cheer Barrow in the capital Banjul.
Under Gambian law, candidates have 10 days starting from the announcement of election results during which to submit a challenge with the court.
Rights groups say Jammeh exerts strong influence over the Supreme Court which for years has been staffed mainly by judges brought in from other common law nations, including Nigeria and Pakistan.
Gambia TV on Friday showed senior military personnel receiving their promotions. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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