Gambia has no natural resources to speak of, and around half its population is living in poverty. But in recent years, in part because the nearby Ebola epidemic scared away tourists, the economy started deteriorating further, propelling record numbers of Gambians to cross the Mediterranean in hopes of finding work in Europe. In the run-up to the December elections, as their grievances boiled over, Gambians crossed the once-unthinkable red lines of publicly opposing the regime, and the opposition at last united around a single presidential candidate, instead of being splintered as usual.

In many autocracies, the regime would have rigged the vote, preventing the growing dissent from metastasizing into a public defeat for the incumbent. Mr. Jammeh, however, did not rig elections, but he locked up rivals, shut down critical newspapers, and paid off supporters. The strategy shielded him from some international criticism — observers could declare an election “free and fair” — but his opponents had grown too confident for it to work this year.

Living in his bubble, Mr. Jammeh was probably surprised by the results on election night. Mr. Barrow’s surge had come late, and no public polls tracked the race. According to The New York Times, “As returns coming in from major regions clearly indicated that he was going to lose, Mr. Jammeh asked his key advisers to annul the votes.” But his security officials pointed out that refusing to accept the results would unleash enormous protests and perhaps violence. He made a concession call to Mr. Barrow.

Perhaps spooked by calls to prosecute him, Mr. Jammeh evidently changed his mind. The United Nations Security Council, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the European Union, the United States government — all have condemned Mr. Jammeh’s rejection of the results. Gambian voters managed to get the international community to tell Mr. Jammeh something it never had before: leave.

If Mr. Jammeh stays in power, he will have to disfigure or remove the democratic window dressing that betrayed him. So even if the opposition does not manage to usher in a new democratic era and get Mr. Jammeh to step down, perhaps through a deal offering him immunity, it will have fully stripped him of legitimacy.

Last summer, I visited Mr. Darboe, the founder of the United Democratic Party, at his shabby office. Mr. Darboe, a soft-spoken lawyer, contested and lost presidential elections in 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. “I want to at least give Gambians a chance to express dissent through the ballot box,” he explained. Mr. Darboe had kept the flame of freedom burning, no matter how dim. Now it will either be fully extinguished or finally catch fire.</s>Gambia’s ruling APRC party on Tuesday filed a petition to its supreme court challenging the outcome of the December 1st election which its candidate, incumbent president Yahya Jammeh, narrowly lost, court documents showed.

“The non-compliance mentioned in this petition seriously affected the credibility of the result of the said presidential elections and necessarily render them invalid,” the document said.

Meanwhile, Gambian security forces have blocked access to the electoral commission office as West African leaders try to persuade the country’s president to respect the elections that voted him out of power after 22 years.

The security forces appeared outside the electoral commission office on Tuesday and refused to let staffers enter.

President Yahya Jammeh initially conceded defeat, but last week announced he was rejecting the December 1st vote results.

Liberia president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is heading the meetings with Mr Jammeh.

Other leaders include Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari, Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma and Ghana president John Mahama, who was also just voted from office.

The West African regional bloc has warned that Gambia could be plunged into violence if Mr Jammeh does not respect a peaceful transition.</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Gambia is in turmoil after the president reneged on his decision to accept election defeat

The Gambia's security forces have taken over the headquarters of the electoral commission, its chairman says, as the country's president refuses to accept his loss in recent elections.

Alieu Momar Njai told the BBC that staff were barred from entering.

President Yahya Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Adama Barrow in a recent poll, before changing his mind.

Visiting West African leaders have met Mr Jammeh to try to persuade him to step down after 22 years in power.

"We hope and pray that he [Jammeh] accepts their advice and leaves office," Mr Njai said.

A senior official of regional bloc Ecowas, Marcel de Souza, would not rule out sending in troops.

"We have done it in the past," he told Radio France Internationale.

"We currently have troops in Guinea-Bissau with the Ecomib mission. We have had troops in Mali. And therefore it is a possible solution."

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Jammeh: "I announce my total rejection of the election results"

Mr Jammeh's ruling APRC party filed a petition on Tuesday with the Supreme Court, asking it to annul the election results.

The president had questioned the validity of the count after the electoral commission changed some results, even though it insists the outcome was not affected.

The commission said Mr Barrow obtained 222,708 votes (43.3%) compared with Mr Jammeh's 208,487 (39.6%). A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 votes (17.1%).

Mr Njai on Sunday defended the results and warned Mr Jammeh against a legal challenge.

"The election results were correct, nothing will change that," he said. "If it goes to court, we can prove every vote cast. The results are there for everyone to see."

Image copyright Reuters/AFP Image caption President Jammeh (l) initially conceded to Adama Barrow but later changed his mind

The leaders of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone are all in The Gambia for talks with Mr Jammeh.

Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie has seemingly reversed a pledge of support for Mr Barrow, the AFP agency reported, arriving at talks wearing a badge featuring Mr Jammeh's face on his uniform.</s>DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United Nations secretary-general says a takeover by Gambia’s security forces of the country’s electoral commission offices could compromise “sensitive electoral material” as the president refuses to accept being voted out of power.

The spokesman for the U.N. chief in a statement Wednesday said Tuesday’s blockading of the election offices was an “outrageous act of disrespect” and a sign of defiance as West African leaders visited to urge President Yahya Jammeh to accept his loss.

The U.N. statement calls on security forces to immediately leave the electoral offices. It also calls for a peaceful transfer of power.

West African leaders will meet Saturday about Gambia’s election crisis. Jammeh initially conceded to Adama Barrow, who won the Dec. 1 vote, but later rejected the results.</s>DAKAR, Senegal — Gambia's security forces should immediately vacate the offices of the country's electoral commission, the United States and the U.N. secretary-general said Wednesday, with the U.N. chief warning their presence could compromise "sensitive electoral material" as President Yahya Jammeh refuses to accept being voted out of power.

Tuesday's takeover of the offices, even as several West African leaders were in the tiny country urging Jammeh to respect election results, was an "outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people and defiance towards the international community," the spokesman for the U.N. chief said.

The ruling party is now seeking a new election, saying the Dec. 1 vote was not conducted fairly. West African leaders with the economic bloc ECOWAS will meet Saturday in Nigeria to discuss the political crisis as uncertainty deepens in the country of 1.9 million.

Jammeh at first shocked the country by accepting defeat after 22 years in power, even making a concession call broadcast on state television. A week later, he announced he had changed his mind. The turnaround chilled the celebrations in a nation where the government has been accused of widespread rights abuses that have sent thousands of Gambians fleeing toward Europe.

The ruling party on Tuesday brought a petition against the Independent Electoral Commission and Gambia's attorney general, saying the election was not conducted in good faith and should be invalidated. Meanwhile, security forces surrounded the electoral commission offices and refused to let staffers enter.

The U.N. secretary-general called on Gambia's security forces to immediately vacate the electoral offices and to refrain from further acts that would jeopardize a peaceful transfer of power.

The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Banjul, also demanded that security forces withdraw, saying the "unnecessary and unprovoked show of force is seen as a move to subvert the democratic process in the Gambia."

It remains unclear what action will be taken on the petition by Jammeh's party, as there is no sitting Supreme Court to rule on the challenge. The U.S. said it does not believe the petition "will be heard by a credible court dedicated to ensuring the integrity of The Gambia's democratic process."

Jammeh, who seized power in a bloodless 1994 military coup, has long been accused by human rights groups of overseeing a government that imprisons, tortures and sometimes kills its opponents.</s>Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - The ruling party of The Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh on Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking it to void the recent presidential election result.

The filing seen by AFP said the electoral commission had violated the law and added opposition leader Adama Barrow was "not duly elected or returned as president, and that the said election was void."</s>Outgoing Gambian President Yahya Jammeh speaking during a press conference after being defeated during the presidential election on December 3, 2016. By Handout (GRTS - Gambia Radio and Television Services/AFP/File)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned the military takeover of Gambia's independent electoral commission, calling on the army and police forces to immediately leave the IEC's offices.

The seizure of the IEC on Tuesday came after President Yahya Jammeh refused to recognize electoral defeat and accused the election body of vote-tampering.

Ban expressed "dismay" over the takeover, saying he "condemns this outrageous act of disrespect of the will of the Gambian people," his spokesman said in a statement.

"This action violates the independent status of the IEC under the Gambian constitution, and could compromise the sensitive electoral material under the commission's custody," he added.

"He calls on the Gambian military and security forces to immediately vacate the IEC premises and to refrain from any further acts with the intent to jeopardize efforts toward the peaceful transfer of power."

The UN chief renewed his appeal for Jammeh, Gambia's leader for 22 years, to hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow.

A UN envoy joined a delegation of African leaders in Banjul this week to press for a transfer of power, but Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said no deal had been reached following talks with Jammeh and Barrow.

The Security Council on Saturday released a unanimous statement demanding that Jammeh "transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to President-elect Adama Barrow."
Gambian security forces take over the headquarters of the electoral commission as the current president, Yahya Jammeh, refuses to accept the recent election results.