Gambia is one of the countries in African continents
she is Geographically located to West Africa Region. It is several hundreds
kilometers below the South West of the Sahara, and has a very small population.
She has common boundaries with
Senegal-North, Guinea Bissue-West, Sierra Leone-South and Guinea –East.
Its
biggest cities and town includes:
1. Serekunda, Brikama, Bakau, and Farafenni and
its population as at 2003 was estimated by the United Nation to be 1,426,000 which automatically placed them in
145 among 193
nations in the world. In that same year 3% of the population was
over 65
years old with another 45% of this
population to be under the age
of 15 years, meaning that the active age or productive age
is more than the retiring age.
There were 98 males for every 100 females in that same
year of 2003. Moreover, as at about
2003-2005 these was a growth rate of
2.66% with the projected population of
1,851,000 before 2015 (1999 UN
report)
. The Gambia which happen to be
one of the smallest country in west
Africa, been link the many of its West African counterpart
and neighbours only enjoyed long
spell of stability since her
independence in April 1970.
Before, the declaration of her Republic in 1970 she
was under the British protectorate since1888. In 1965 she gain her independence
as a constitutional monarchy in the British common wealth system. Hence, she
fully deliberated her self from the bondage of colonialism in 1970 April and became
and independent state.
Therefore the military politics in Gambia began as at
1970 when Dawda Jawara became the firs
president of Gambia.
In
1981, there was an attempt coup d’etate in Gambia which was successfully
implemented and latter thwarted by the Senegalese army.
This intervention happen because of the geographical
location of the Gambians. Through these army presence in Gambian there was and
establishment of Senegambian confederation in 1982.
The purpose of these joint armies was for the
coordination of the defence, foreign affairs and economic policies including trade and custom duties.
In 1989, there was a dissolution between the
two countries, this is because of the Gambian lucrative re-export
trade over the porous
adversely, affected by the trade and custom union.
Gambia under Dawda Jawara happen to be one of the
peaceful country in African continent during the period.
However, its multiparty government with a
uni-cameral legislature was
dominated by the People Progressive Party (PPP) . opposition parties claimed
that they were prohibited from effective challenged against the
incumbency. Therefore, he was re-elected
for 5th term in 1992, April.
From 1992, there was a civil unrest that developed in
Gambian army. Because of this, President Dawda Jawara sign a military treaties or defence agreement with Nigeria. This agreement allow or empowered Nigerian military officers to head
the Gambian army.
Further more, even as Nigerian armies and her senior
officials was concentrating in the occupation of Gambian administration in Banjul, the under ground coup –d’etate was also going on secretly. Hence in 1994 22 July ,
Lieutenant Jahya Jammeh
successfully over throwned the
government through a
bloodless coupe.
In 11 November, 1994 , another coup was tempted and
successfully, headed by Lieutenant Barrows Bashiru. Rumors reported that about l
50 people were found death and many others missing in such a way that U.K
Denmark and Sweden caution her citizen
against traveling to the Gambia.
This
action led to the estimate loss of about
25% of tourist industries employment.
Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh continued
for rule Gambian with an iron first ever
since inception. Therefore stability has not been translated into
prosperity, despite the presence of Gambian river which run through the middle
of the country.
Pressure from
the masses began to increased for people can not longer endured or enjoy the
presence of military and then therefore
demanded for a democracy
provisional through this an Armed
Forces Provisional Ruling Council (A.F.P.R.C)
was formed and National Consultative Committee (NCC) to review
the issue. (AFRRC) resultantly
accepted the committee recommendation that the “transition period be reduced
to two years”.
In view of this, the President Yahya Jammeh degreed that there will be no formation of a
new political parties until three month before the elections.
There was suspension of constitution, Ban of political parties but political activities was very effective in Gambia. The Gambian
government tried to persuade their citizen by making such comment
that “government had to draft a
constitution before the ban on the
political parties can be lifted.
However, as this was going the AFPRC ie Armed
Force Provisional Ruling Council
had formed its own movement in July 22 1994.
This movement automatically placed Yahya Jammeh to contest the election
from the incumbency position and maintain all the features of a
political parties then utilized them effectively.
From
July- September 1996, the presidential election was post pounded.
The
ban on political parties to participates on election was lifted for all in 14
August 1996 but the three pre-coup parties still stand as independent parties.
Thereafter,
the three pre-coup was banned for their participation in 30 years.
- The National Convention Party (NCP)
- The Peoples Progressive Party (PPP)
- The Gambian People Party (GPP)
They were charge with mis- ruled and violation of human right in the country by the
common wealth organization.
The
common wealth shows concerned over the government decision and indicates that
“unless the Yahya Jammeh’s regimes
rescinded its powers, the common wealth could not endorse such
flowed processes.
By September, 1994, the president of Gambian
independent election commission called for the released of the political
detainees.
Having conducted political rallies and organizing the
pre-parties activities over two years, the regional alliance for patriotic
re-orientation and construction (APRC)
gained a significant advantage’s
over the other parties.
In 1996, Yahya Jammeh and three other civilians rivals contested the presidential election on
26 September 1996, 56% vote was given to Yahya Jammeh officially therefore
making him the second elected president of Gambia in 31 years of independence.
In October 18, 1996
he was inaugurated, and
the election for National
Assembly were held in January 2,
1979 where APRC took 33 out of
45 seat, UDP 7 seat, NRC 2 seat the independent party 2
seats and PDOIS 1 seat.
From 1999 -2000
were mark by intermittent violence,
unsuccessful coup and charges of
state corruption which elicited fighter
control over the military including
its ethnic compositions as well
as several cabinet changes. In midst
2000 April, about 14 people was reported killed, student who protested also
died in a suspicious circumstances.
Same year, local emotions scheduled were repeatedly
postpone.
By 18 October
2001, there was another presidential election
there was allegation of
fraud thousands of Diola living
across the boarder in Senegal voted for
Yahya Jammeh and he was re-elected as
presidents of Gambia
The
second term election in Gambia was not
so easy for Jammeh, for l Ousai nou Darbere of U.D.P form
a coalition of three political
parties ie P.P.P, G.P.P
and U.D.P. the election was
conducted at intervals.
1. The first round Jammeh won out rightly with
about 52.96% of vote, but the election was raising tension in the ground of fraud etc, for peace sake Darboe
forsake it and concede the defeat.
The European Union (EU) , U.N, United Kingdom (UK)
and the transparency
international fielded the limited
numbers of international observers who commend the satisfactory of the
diction.
17 January 2002
was scheduled for the
parliamentary election were APRC won 45
seat out of 53, PDORS 3
seat; and by law 5 seat
were appointed.
There was an election bias in the part of independent
electoral commission which led to
the boycotte the election and APRC candidates was allowed to run un-opposed in 33
out of 48 constituencies.
Former head of state Sir, Dauda Jawara was given
a mandate to returned from exile
in 2002 on the condition that he should resign from his party. From
2003-2004, he became opposition to
Yahya Jammah’s party who was not expect to face stiff competition of this nature.
In another
developed it is observe that peanut
happen to be a common plant in Gambia.
The Gambian has only-one-six of the land is arable and
poor soil quality has led to the production of this easy crop ie pea-nuts. She
depend so much in this cash –crop, for this is
one of their exported goods.
Finally, Gambia
depend on foreign aids to filled the
gaps in its balance of payment president Yahya
Jammeh’s want to turn the country into an oil producing state, even if
the country is yet to strike its crude
oil.
Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange as
the money sent home by Gambians in
Diaspora.
REFERENCES
Encyclopedia
Of The Nation World Leaders 2003- Gambia (Pg
230)
B.B.C
News of 23 Nov. 2011, Time 12:45 GMT
E
Ola Abiola Pg 242 -243; West African
History 1984, Omotayo
Standard Nig Ado – Ekiti
United
Nation Report: 1999