Head of Gambian electoral body flees country

By Saikou Kalleh

BANJUL, Gambia (AA) – The chairman of Gambia’s electoral watchdog has fled the country, family sources confirmed on Wednesday.

Alieu Mamorr Njai oversaw the Dec. 1 presidential election where strongman Yahya Jammeh lost to opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow.

Before filing a petition to challenge the result, Jammeh said he had annulled it and ordered a fresh election to be supervised by an electoral body led by an “Allah-fearing individual”.

Gambian security officials also took over the electoral commission’s headquarters and denied the institution’s workers from entering, including the chairman, Njai.

Weeks later a press release came from an unspecified government agency asking the electoral authorities to resume their work, claiming they had taken over the building because of the threat of an arson attack.

-Crackdown on dissent

The Gambian authorities have also closed down three radio stations in the past two days.

They were Afri Radio, Taranga FM and the Hill Top.

Gambia Press Union President Emil Touray told Anadolu Agency the closures were “unfortunate” at a time when the country is going through a crisis.

“We are calling for an end to the closure of the media houses and the reopening of the three that were closed down,” Touray added.

The office of president-elect Barrow has also issued a statement late Tuesday evening asking outgoing president Jammeh to halt the closure of media houses and the arrest of activists.