#Headlines

Int’l IDEA hails Gambia’s peaceful election

Dec 7, 2021, 12:01 PM

Press release: We the Moral Guarantors of the Code of Conduct for Presidential Candidates signed on 11 November 2021: wish to congratulate all the Presidential Candidates and voters for going about their civic duties and exercising their franchise on 4 December 2021 in a peaceful and orderly manner. 

 

We further wish to commend the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) and the political parties and independent candidate for their role in delivering relatively peaceful election.  We commend the efforts of civil society groups for providing ongoing analysis and escalate concerns to the IEC on Election Day. 

We urge candidates and their supporters to continue to cooperate with the IEC and to remain calm during the results collation process. We urge them to refrain from spreading rumours and speculations and wait patiently for the official release of the results by the IEC.

Furthermore, we appeal to candidates who may have grievances or complaints from Election Day and the results management process to seek redress through the recognised dispute resolution procedures through the courts, instead of resorting to violence. The courts have the mandate and the tools to investigate, review and resolve any election related disputes based on the evidence provided in a transparent manner.

In the meantime, we encourage the Presidential Candidates to conduct themselves peacefully, mindful of their commitments in the Conduct for Presidential Candidates.

We call on the Media to continue to exercise their responsibility in ensuring professional and accurate reportage and avoiding speculations.

We commend the Security Services and encourage them to remain professional and vigilant at this critical moment of the election process.

All Gambians including our vibrant youth are encouraged to continue to put country first, and maintain the peace, stability and security of our dear nation.