The
sudden rejection of the 1st December election results by the outgoing president
has sent shock waves among Gambians in Italy as those that initially booked
ticket to come for holiday are now cancelling their bookings.
After
accepting the result as “the will of Gambian people”, Yahya Jammeh took the
entire world by surprise when he appeared on the Gambia national broadcaster to
fault the process and the result of the election he himself initially described
as rig-proof.
Adama
Barrow, who leads a coalition of eight political parties, won the election.
Jammeh’s
sudden rejection of the election that ends his 22 years in power has caused
anger and frustration among Italy-based Gambians.
Sanna
Sonko, a Gambian businessman in Milano, Italy, said: “I found his [Jammeh’s] recent turn back
difficult to hear and unprepared to understand.
He has accepted it himself and now he has no legal ground to condemn it
just like that.”
Assan
Baldeh, a political science student, said: “The courts should give their
backing to president-elect Barrow and the national interest and not allow
injustice to prevail. I hope they will
protect the interest of the general public and help facilitate a quick and
peaceful transition.”
The
Yaffa family of five who lives in Torino for 20 years has postponed their
journey back home after Jammeh’s unwelcomed refusal of the recent presidential
election.
“We
have made out tickets for The Gambia and should be there by the 28 of this
December to celebrate the New Year under a new government. Now we have to anxiously await the peaceful
transition. We hope and pray for The Gambia,” Amadou Yaffa said.
There
are many others like the Yaffa family who initially planned to come for holiday
but now prefer to watch the political drama in their native country from afar.
