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President Yahya Jammeh on Tuesday evening declared a state of public emergency throughout The Gambia, entrusting the security forces with the maintenance of “absolute law and order”. |
In a
televised broadcast over the state television, GRTS, Jammeh, however,
said: “During this state of public
emergency, civil liberties are to be fully respected.”
Through
the state of emergency, the Gambian leader immediately banned everyone in The
Gambia “from any acts of disobedience to the laws of The Gambia, incitement to
violence and acts intended to disturb public order and peace”.
He said
the move to declare a state of emergency was prompted by the fact that allowing
the continuation of the current situation in the country “may lead to a state
of public emergency”.
The
current political situation in the country follows Jammeh’s total rejection of
the results of the 1st December presidential election, which Adama Barrow, who
leads a coalition of eight opposition parties, was declared winner.
Barely
a week after conceding defeat, Jammeh rejected the result in its entirety and
called for a new election.
The
Gambian leader said the declaration of state of emergency was necessitated by
“the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign interference” in the 1st
December 2016 presidential elections.
He said
the foreign interference “in the internal affairs of The Gambia” has created an
unwarranted hostile atmosphere threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and
stability of the country.
President
Jammeh said the declaration was also necessitated by the absconding of the
chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission.
The
chairman, Alieu Momarr, is one of the four parties against whom Jammeh and his
ruling APRC party filed three petitions at the Supreme Court of The Gambia
challenging the result of the presidential election.
The
session of the court on Monday could not determine the petitions because the
court could not be empanelled.
As a
result, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle adjourned the case to May or November
2017, when the judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone appointed at the Supreme
Court in Banjul are expected in the country.
Also,
the APRC injunction seeking an order of the Supreme Court to block the
inauguration of president-elect Barrow could not be determined, as the Chief
Justice recused himself from the matter.
The
Gambian leader cited the inability of the Supreme Court to convene as a result
of the non-appearance of the judges to hear the election petitions as another
reason for the declaration of the state of emergency.
According
to him, the non-coming of the judges was mainly influenced by foreign powers
and their agents, in an effort to thwart the constitutionally mandated
process.
He said
this was manifested in a captured audio recording of the absconded chairman of
the IEC discussing how plans have been made to ensure the Supreme Court judges
will not sit on time to hear the petitions against “the flawed results” he
published.
Still
another reason for the declaration, said President Jammeh was “the current
state of fear and confusion created by some of the political players in the
country, which could lead to the breakdown of law and order.”
“The
need to prevent a constitutional crisis and power vacuum, pending the
determination of the petitions at the Supreme Court, and the application for an
injunction against swearing in Mr Adama Barrow or anybody as president of the
Islamic Republic of the Gambia, until the Supreme Court decides on the 1st
December 2016 Presidential Election results,” he said was also another reason
for his declaration of a state of public emergency in the country.
Meanwhile, National
Assembly members yesterday extended the term of the National Assembly and that
of the President for another three months. Each of both terms, which should end today,
is five years.
