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Gambian court delays election decision until next week

FILE- In this Tuesday Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, Gambian officers signal to the media not to block the public's view during President Yahya Jammeh's final rally in Banjul, Gambia. A Gambian court has postponed a decision on the disputed presidential election until next week. The delay of the ruling party's case until Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 sets up a collision course with the opposition, which still plans the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow on Jan 19. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
FILE- In this Tuesday Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, Gambian officers signal to the media not to block the public's view during President Yahya Jammeh's final rally in Banjul, Gambia. A Gambian court has postponed a decision on the disputed presidential election until next week. The delay of the ruling party's case until Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 sets up a collision course with the opposition, which still plans the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow on Jan 19. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File) FILE- In this Tuesday Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, Gambian officers signal to the media not to block the public's view during President Yahya Jammeh's final rally in Banjul, Gambia. A Gambian court has postponed a decision on the disputed presidential election until next week. The delay of the ruling party's case until Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 sets up a collision course with the opposition, which still plans the inauguration of President-elect Adama Barrow on Jan 19. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

By Associated Press 2 min read

BANJUL, Gambia (AP) – A Gambian court has postponed a decision on the ruling party’s challenge to the presidential election results until Monday, just days before President-elect Adama Barrow expects to be inaugurated on Jan. 19.

Longtime President Yahya Jammeh initially conceded his loss in the Dec. 1 election, then changed his mind. His party wants the results thrown out because of alleged irregularities.

Thousands of members of Jammeh’s party descended near the courthouse Tuesday, chanting, singing and dancing.

But the Gambian court said neither Barrow nor the Independent Electoral Commission had been served with the ruling party’s petition. The court also currently does not have enough judges to hear the case. The court has been dormant for over a year and has only one sitting judge.

On Wednesday, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will lead three West African heads of state to Gambia in an effort to persuade Jammeh to step down. It will be the second presidential delegation from the Economic Community of West African States to visit Gambia during the election crisis.

The West African bloc has said it has a military force on standby if Jammeh refuses to cede power when his mandate expires Jan. 19.

The United States, European Union and others have condemned Jammeh’s stance.

Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994 but is accused of gross human rights violations that include arbitrary detentions, torture and the killings of his opponents in this country of 1.9 million people.