President Jammeh has been re-elected to steer the affairs of this country for another five years with an elevated margin of 67.33 per cent of the votes cast, official figures has shown. Lawyer Ousainou Darboe of the main opposition, UDP/NRP/GPDP Alliance polled 26.69 per cent while NADD’s Halifa Sallah got 5.98 per cent. President Jammeh won in all the 48 constituencies but one, Kiang West, where the main opposition won by a margin of 1076 votes.

Immediately after the results were announced by the Independent Electoral Commission, an excited crowd of his supporters converged in Banjul and the KMC to celebrate the historic victory. Later in the evening, the president-elect, Dr Yahya Jammeh, convened a press conference at State House. Speaking at the press conference, a happy Jammeh pronounced his thankfulness to Gambians for having what he called the patriotic zeal to renew his mandate, noting that this has shown that Gambians want progress and peace and security and not retrogression. He also thanked all Gambians and non- Gambian alike for the responsible manner in which they conducted themselves all through the electoral process.

President Jammeh stated that Gambians have indicated that they trust him and for that matter he promised that he would live up to expectation. According to him, he would make The Gambia to become Number 1 in Africa and make Gambians the richest and happiest in the whole world.

Asked about his view of the atmosphere in which the media operates in The Gambia and of Deyda Hydara’s murder, President Jammeh maintained that he believes in the rule of law, adding that if at anytime he thinks that somebody wronged him, he would rather drag him to the courts and jail him than kill him. “What will I benefit from killing? I rather send you to jail until you are old then set you free to suffer the rest of your life,” he remarked. “What has he done, or what was he up to that may warrant the government to kill him?” he asked, arguing that “there are people in jail for ages now and are on death roll for killing some soldiers but are not executed.” He warned that he would not allow journalism where other people’s character would be assassinated. He stressed that any journalist found wanting would be taken to court.

On a final note, President Jammeh however called on those on the other side of the political divide to throw aside their political interest and come together to join hands for the development of the country. In his view, party politics has now given way to the need for people to join hands in collective efforts to develop the country.