Press Releases
Situation in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia
(Statement by Foreign Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura)
1. Japan strongly condemns the statement issued by President Yahya Jammeh on December 9 rejecting the result of the presidential election, which was held on December 1 and whose final vote count was announced on December 5.
2. Japan calls on President Jammeh to respect the will of the people of The Gambia expressed through the election.
3. Japan hopes that all parties in The Gambia will act in the spirit of cooperation for a peaceful transfer of power.
(Reference) 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.
(5) President Jammeh once admitted his defeat in the election. Transition of power is scheduled to take place in January 2017.