Gambia opposition calls on Supreme Court to overturn poll results Election News

The United Opposition Democratic Party says corruption and bribery have hampered the campaign.

The main opposition party in Gambia has filed a petition in the country’s Supreme Court to formally challenge the results of the December 4 presidential election. in his hands Adama Barrow’s second term.

On Tuesday, the United Democratic Party of Darboe said it had asked the Supreme Court to overturn the results because of the corruption and bribery that hampered the campaign.

Barrow, who won the 2016 election, ended his 20-year dictatorship in the West African nation, winning a second term in opinion polls.

The former real estate developer garnered 53% of the vote, ahead of political veteran Ousainou Darboe by 27.7%.

At the request of the opposition party, Barrow and his party members pledged money in exchange for the vote. He also argued that the election was invalid because many foreigners allegedly voted for it, among other irregularities.

The opposition has yet to provide any evidence of wrongdoing.

African Union election observers said the election was conducted in accordance with international standards, and European Union observers praised the transparency of the voting and counting process.

The U.S. has also given its approval, saying observers have pointed out only “minor” irregularities.

The opposition has the right to request the results before the Supreme Court within 10 days. The court then has a period of 30 working days from the start of the hearings to give its decision.

They are preparing for Barrow’s swearing-in ceremony on January 19th.

The first election was held in Gambia, a former British colony of two million people, since former President Yahya Jammeh fled into exile.

Jammeh ruled for 22 years after taking power in a bloodless coup in 1994 after his government accused him of using death squads and torture, among other abuses.

The former leader fled to Equatorial Guinea in January 2017 after Barrow, a then-unknown relative, was defeated at the polls.