Press Releases

The Presidential Election in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia
(Statement by Foreign Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura)

December 7, 2016

1. Japan welcomes that Mr. Adama Barrow was elected as the new president of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia in the presidential election held on December 1, and that the power will be transferred peacefully by President Yahya Jammeh, respecting the will of the people of The Gambia.

2. Japan hopes the people of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia will act in the spirit of cooperation for a peaceful transfer of power.

3. Japan hopes bilateral relations between Japan and The Gambia will be advanced further with Mr. Barrow as the new president.

(Reference 1) State of affairs in The Gambia

(1) In July 1994, then-Lieutenant Jammeh ousted President Jawara, the first president of The Gambia, in a military coup, established a military government, and assumed the post of president.

(2) After a two year democratization period under the new government, Mr. Jammeh was elected as the second president of The Gambia in a presidential election held in September 1996. In January 1997, elections were held for the National Assembly, and the National Assembly was convened to complete the transfer to a civilian rule.

(3) President Jammeh was re-elected in the presidential elections held in 2001, 2006, and 2011. In the current election, President Jammeh was running for his fifth term in office.

(4) President-elect Barrow manages a real estate firm in The Gambia. He was elected as the leader of the United Democratic Party in June 2016. In October 2016, as the result of an election to decide a representative of an alliance of 7 opposition parties, he was approved the united opposition party presidential candidate.

(Reference 2) TICAD VI Preparatory Ministerial Meeting
The Preparatory Ministerial Meeting of the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development was held in Banjul, the Islamic Republic of The Gambia on June 16 and 17, 2016.


Back to Press Releases