The Gambia: Democracy Needs Support
The Gambia: UN Envoy Says Recent Elections Were Free But Democracy Needs Support
New York, Oct 6 2006 6:00PM
Although the recent presidential election in the Gambia was relatively free and fair, the tiny West African country needs international support to help strengthen its democratic institutions, build up opposition political parties and ensure its media are vigorous, well-trained and independent, the United Nations envoy for the polls said today.
The former Nigerian head of State,
General Abdulsalami Abubakr, appointed as the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Gambia
last month, told the UN News Centre that reports of
widespread election manipulation were either grossly
over-exaggerated or unsubstantiated.
President
Yahya Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994, was
re-elected on 22 September after winning about two-thirds of
the vote, Gen. Abubakr said in an interview, which followed
his briefing to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the
elections.
Some opposition presidential
candidates have accused the Gambian Government of
manipulation during the election campaign, but Gen. Abubakr
downplayed those reports and said any inappropriate actions
were minor and did not affect the ultimate result.
“There have been a lot of allegations or reports
which were over-exaggerated,” he said, noting that
independent election observers considered the polling to be
largely free and fair and without any foreign interference.
But Gen. Abubakr said voter education was poor and
all political parties, especially those in opposition, need
help with capacity-building. He also stressed the importance
of better training of the media, which he described as
“ill-equipped and ill-trained.”
The envoy
called on the UN to increase its support of the Gambia’s
democratic institutions and noted that the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is examining
programmes to boost media training in the Gambia.
Ends