The
National Executive Committee of the Gambia Teachers Union (GTUNEC) and, by
extension, the Board of Directors of the GTU Co-operative Credit Union
(GTUCCU), the Status of Women’s Executive Committee (GTUSWC), Conference of
Principals of Senior Secondary and Upper Basic Schools and the Association of
Heads of Lower Basic Schools have called on outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to
honourably accept the outcome of the December 1st 2016 Presidential Election as
declared by the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission and peacefully
hand over power.
In
a press statement sent to The Point yesterday and signed by the GTUNEC
president, the body said they are deeply concerned and dismayed with the
December 9, 2016 retraction and “total rejection of the 2016 Election Results
in its entirely” by outgoing-President Yahya Jammeh after conceding defeat.
They
congratulated the winner and promised to support the transition process.
“The
position of the GTUNEC and its organs is that we reject the outgoing
president’s subsequent pronouncement as it is not only inconsistent, but
totally against the sovereign will of the Gambian people and contravenes the
provisions of Section 49 of the 1997 Constitution of The Republic of The
Gambia,” they stated.
The
GTU body said they are flabbergasted by how a few days earlier the Independent
Electoral Commission had had praises heaped on it by the outgoing President for
presiding over a “rig proof” electoral process, which he claimed to be the best
in the world, could now be branded as “fraudulent and corrupt” by the 9th of
December.
“The
unfortunate decision by the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to disregard his
noble acceptance of defeat is a recipe for chaos and disorder, which undoubtedly
endangers the lives of all Gambians, particularly our children, and threatens
one of GTU’s cardinal principles of total commitment to the protection and
welfare of children of The Gambia,” according to the body which went on to say
that, apart from the prospect of “endangering the lives of our children, his
subsequent pronouncement could paralyse the education system of our country”.
The
Union, therefore, added its voice to that of the Gambia Bar Association and
others in respect of this subject and, as such, the leadership of the GTU.
