Former Ghanaian President Mahama heads EISA to monitor Gambia’s 4 December polls
Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in The Gambia heading the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), observer mission to monitor West African 4 December presidential election.
In The Gambia’s highly anticipated election, President Adama Barrow is being challenged by four political parties and an independent candidate, a former prosecutor at the country's Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
A statement made available to PANA here Thursday said former Ghanaian President Mahama called on President Barrow at the State House on Wednesday.
He will also be meeting with other presidential candidates as part of their efforts to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections.
He told journalists that the EISA team was at State House to pay a courtesy call on the president and discuss the mandate of the mission in The Gambia as it prepares for the upcoming 4 December presidential elections.
Ex-President Mahama commended The Gambia for the peaceful conduct of this important democratic process and praised the security forces for providing adequate security for all the candidates.
The former Ghanaian leader noted that these measures had helped to prevent violence throughout this period.
Mahama also said the mission held several meetings with other stakeholders, including the IEC, the Chief Justice and the Inspector General of Police.
He said he was confident that this election would be conducted peacefully and in line with the democratic practices that The Gambia had embraced, adding: “The responsibility for peaceful, fair and transparent elections rests on Gambians”.
He said this was the first presidential election since the 2016 impasse and the international community was watching and hopeful that the country would get it right and consolidate its democratic gains.
Mahama urged all political party leaders, militants and Gambians, in general, to cooperate with all the relevant stakeholders in ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
-0- PANA MSS/RA 2Dec2021
