On behalf of President Chen Shui-bian (
More than 20,000 people attended the inauguration, including several heads of state from neighboring African countries and special envoys from other countries.
In his inaugural speech, Jammeh vowed to continue to promote constitutional democracy in Gambia, manage the nation based on the principles of justice, transparency and humanitarianism, and lead Gambia to become a modern nation that respects the rule of law, religious freedom and human rights.
At the ceremony, Jammeh also announced an amnesty for former President Dauda Jawara, who is now living in self-exile in Britain after his government was toppled in the early 1990s, allowing the former ruler to return to his home country freely. Jammeh's announcement was met with thunderous applause.
President Chen offered his felicitations to Jammeh after the Gambian President was re-elected with 52.96 percent of the vote in the African nation's October presidential election.
Political observers from the US, Canada and Europe witnessed the presidential election, which was held in two rounds of voting, and judged it to be "transparent and clean."
Jammeh led a military coup in 1994. He then ran in the 1997 presidential race as a civilian and was elected with a large mandate from the voters.
To mark Jammeh's re-election and the unique way of voting in Gambia, where marbles are used as ballots, Lu presented Jammeh with a box of 1.5 million marbles as a gift.
Lu said that Gambia's use of marbles to vote reflects fairness and transparency as well as democratic ways which she said should be emulated by other African countries.
Lu said she will not visit Senegal after her three-day visit in Gambia as she is scheduled to head back to Taiwan where Chen is waiting for her for other official business.
Lu said she hopes to visit Senegal as soon as possible and dismissed rumors that there might be changes in the formal diplomatic relationship between Taiwan and Senegal.
Lu, leading a special diplomatic delegation, flew via Paris into Gambia on Thursday, receiving a red-carpet welcome from the Gambian government upon arrival.
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