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ACCRA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ghana is optimistic that the political crisis in Gambia would be resolved peacefully, Emmanuel Bombande, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.
A number of African leaders including Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama who lost his re-election bid last week are in Gambia as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) initiates efforts to make Gambian President Yahya Jammeh step down after losing the December 1 elections.
"Our president has been very active with his colleagues in these efforts and pretty much hoping and looking for a good outcome that will put West Africa firmly on the map of a region that is not only good at using diplomacy in preventing violence but more importantly respecting our democratic institutions and how they are impacting across the entire sub-region," Bombande said.
President Jammeh has refused to step down after he was defeated in the presidential polls at his fourth attempt by Adama Barrow. He initially conceded defeat but made a u-turn at his decision several days later claiming there were massive irregularities in the polls and called for fresh elections.
Barrow won 263,515 votes representing 45.5 percent in the December 1 election, while President Jammeh polled 212,099 representing 36.7 percent according to the Gambian Electoral Commission. Enditem
