Gambian
President Adama Barrow has held talks with the country’s first president Dawda
Jawara.
President
Barrow visited the 92-year-old Sir Dawda at his residence in Fajara, about 12km
from the capital, Banjul.
Significant
state matters were reportedly discussed, with Sir Dawda promising guidance to
the new leadership.
Sir Dawda
congratulated President Barrow for his December 1, 2016 victory, that recorded
the first democratic change through election after Gambia's 51 years of
independence.
Prime
minister
Sir Dawda
served first as prime minister from 1962 to 1970.
He became
president from 1970 to 1994 when he was overthrown by Yahya Jammeh, who was
then a 29-year-old military lieutenant.
Barrow, 51,
an estate developer, came to power through a coalition of seven parties and a
woman independent candidate, supported by two independent parliamentarians.
Oath of
office
The
coalition campaign, the announcement of victory and the return of Barrow from
Senegal where he went into exile and took the oath of office, commanded a huge
support by Gambians.
Jammeh came
to power on July 22, 1994 and contested an election in 1996, which turned him
into a civilian. He proceeded to rule for 22 years until his December 2016
election defeat.
He
astonishingly conceded defeat on December 2 but later made a U-turn by declaring
it null and void, followed by the filing of an election petition and an
injunction to stop the new president from being sworn in.
Regional
bloc
Jammeh went
on to declare a state of emergency, endorsed by his APRC party that dominated
the National Assembly.
Pressure
from the regional bloc Ecowas, the African Union and the UN for him to respect
the constitution and the verdict of the people, finally forced him out.
Presidents
Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mohamed Ould Abdul Aziz of Mauritania also held talks
with Jammeh, contributing to his exit and fleeing into exile on January 21, to
Equatorial Guinea.
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