Gambia's Jammeh loses presidential election to Adamu Barrow
2 replies, posted
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[QUOTE]The Gambia's president of 22 years Yahya Jammeh will be replaced by an estate agent, Adama Barrow, after losing the general election.
Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994, has agreed to accept defeat, said electoral commission chief Alieu Momar Njie.
Before announcing the final result, Mr Njie appealed for calm as the country entered unchartered waters.
The Gambia has not had a smooth power transfer since independence in 1965.
Mr Njie said that Mr Barrow had won Thursday's election by more than 50,000 votes.
A devout Muslim, Mr Jammeh, 51, once said he would rule for "one billion years" if "Allah willed it".
"It's really unique that someone who has been ruling this country for so long has accepted defeat," Mr Njie told reporters.
Mr Jammeh's defeat has been greeted with astonishment in The Gambia, where most people expected him to win. He has served four terms as president but now this unpredictable and ruthless man is to be replaced by an estate agent.
Mr Jammeh's 22 years in power have brought repression and intolerance to this tiny seaside nation, popular for cheap holidays in the sun.
He has been tough on journalists, the opposition and gay people. He also said he could cure Aids and infertility.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38183906[/url]
I'm ready for Barrow to Make Gambia Great Again.
Surprising that Jammeh conceded, hope Barrow's time in the UK has made him a least a little bit progressive.
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