Gentlemen and women of the media, CSOs, partners who have been overseers of the electoral process, our partners who joined us to form a formidable coalition for system change, everybody here present, we started a journey dictated by our Constitution. It stated very clearly:
The authority to govern this country must be derived from the people of the country and must be exercised to promote their general well being.
If elections were a football match, then there will be winners and losers. But election is not a football match. It is the sovereign authority of the people to entrust their power and authority to any of us. And that authority should be utilized to promote the liberty and prosperity of our people. What we are here to do today is to examine the process and indicate how we see it.. Section 26 of the Constitution is clear, that;
Political rights 26:
Every citizen of The Gambia of full age and capacity shall have the right, without unreasonable restrictions –
(a) to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives;
(b) to vote and stand for elections at genuine periodic elections for public office, which election shall be by universal and equal suffrage and be held by secret ballot;
We participated in the 2021 presidential election based on the mandate of the Constitution. The I.E.C has finally declared the results. According to the I.E.C:
Adama Barrow has 457,519 votes.
A.N.M Ousainou Darboe: 238,253 votes.
Essa Mbye Faal: 17,206 votes:
Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh: 8,252 votes.
Mama Kandeh: 105,902 votes.
Halifa Baboucarr Sallah: 32,435.
According to them (the I.E.C), having received 457,519 votes in the election, he the IEC chairman declares that Adama Barrow is duely elected to serve as the president of the republic of the Gambia. According to section 49 of our Constitution – and we wish to share with our members and the community at large – it states when we as dissatisfied, that:
Challenge to election of a President 49:
Any registered political party which has participated in the Presidential election or an independent candidate who has participated in such an election may apply to the Supreme Court to determine the validity of the election of a President by filling a petition within ten days of the declaration of the result of the election.
I wish to note, we have consulted our polling agents and we do not have any substantial evidence that we can present before the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of the results of Presidential election. So in that regard, as a coalition, we cannot say in anyway that… we are going to present anything before the Supreme Court to challenge the IEC on the Election.