Gambia denies EU request to observe elections

Gambia has denied the European Union access to evaluate its electoral process, a few weeks before the Dec. 1 presidential elections. The refusal follows months-long reports of government forces violently stifling opposition.

Attila Lajos, EU ambassador to Gambia, said the proposed mission aimed to observe and make recommendations on how the country can improve its electoral framework on the basis of both international and national laws.

“The EU intended to send an electoral expert mission, which is more about assessing the electoral process in the country,” Lajos said. “We believe there’s room for improvement in every system.”

During Gambia’s 2011 presidential elections, the EU sent a similar mission that made recommendations, but the west African country failed to implement any of the suggested changes, Lajos said.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh just this month welcomed all observers to come and witness the “credibility of the electoral process.” Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994, is running for a fifth term. His 22-year tenure has been marred by allegations of human rights violations. The upcoming election has resulted in an increased crackdown on opposition forces.

Security forces arrested nearly 50 protesters in April and May, including the leader of the major opposition United Democratic Party (UDP). Earlier this month, Gambian authorities arrested three journalists without providing them their right to a court appearance. The EU sent a human rights committee to the country in September, and its members expressed concerns about widespread repression across the country.

In a similar investigation this month, Human Rights Watch recorded multiple cases of government violence, some of them fatal. Several opposition party members have received up to three-year prison sentences. Solo Sandeng, a UDP activist who led an April protest demanding electoral reform, died in police custody following his arrest.

“The Gambian government should immediately release all peaceful protestors being held, initiate a transparent and impartial investigation into opposition deaths in custody, grant opposition parties access to state media outside the framework of the official campaign, and cease using state resources for campaigning,” Human Rights Watch said.