Gambia, The

Country in west Africa, bounded north, east, and south by Senegal and west by the Atlantic Ocean.

Government
The Gambia is an independent republic within the Commonwealth, with a presidential political executive. Prior to a 1994 military coup, it had one Africa's oldest and most stable multiparty democracies. But its 1970 constitution was suspended and replaced by a new constitution, drafted by a Constitution Review Commission appointed by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, which was approved by referendum in August 1996. This constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a single-chamber legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights. The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, with no restriction on the number of terms, and appoints the members of the Cabinet. The legislature comprises a National Assembly of 53 members, including 48 members elected for a five-year term and 5 appointed members. Since the 1994 coup, the political system has been dominated by one party, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC). Opposition parties are allowed to operate, but are seen as having little real chance of winning power.

History
The Gambia was formerly part of the Mali Empire, a Muslim gold-trading empire that flourished in west Africa between the 7th and 15th centuries, and declined at the time of the Portuguese arrival in 1455. In the late 16th century commerce was taken over from Portugal by England, and trading posts established on the Gambia River were controlled from Sierra Leone. In 1843 The Gambia was made a crown colony, becoming an independent British colony in 1888.

Jawara's presidency
Political parties were formed in the 1950s, internal self-government was achieved in 1963, and full independence within the Commonwealth in 1965, with Dawda Jawara as prime minister. The country declared itself a republic in 1970, with Jawara as president, replacing the British monarch as head of state. Jawara was re-elected in 1972 and 1977.

With the Progressive People's Party (PPP) the dominant political force, there was pressure to make The Gambia a one-party state, but Jawara resisted this. When an attempted coup against him in 1981 was thwarted with Senegalese military aid, ties between the two countries were strengthened and the confederation of Senegambia created. However, in economic terms, The Gambia had more to gain and after Senegalese demands The Gambia formally agreed to end the confederation. Jawara was re-elected in 1982 and 1987. In 1990 The Gambia contributed troops to the multinational force attempting to stabilize Liberia.

Jammeh takes over after a military coup
In July 1994, following a coup staged by junior army officers, a military council was established to oversee the activities of the civilian government. Jawara fled the country and Lt Yahya Jammeh was named as his replacement, heading a military ruling council. Two attempted counter-coups in November 1994 and January 1995 failed.

A new constitution was adopted in 1996 and political parties allowed to operate, but politicians from deposed President Jawara's PPP were banned from participating in politics until 2001. A presidential election was held in September 1996 and was won by retired Colonel Yahya Jammeh, with 56% of the vote.

In October 2001, President Jammeh was re-elected with 53% of the vote, defeating Ousainou Darboe of the United Democratic Party (UDP) who gained 33%. Jammeh's authoritarian Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party (APRC) won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections in January 2002. The APRC victory was helped by an election boycott from the UDP, the main opposition party.

In September 2006, Jammeh was re-elected president with 67% of the vote, defeating Darboe again. The election was viewed as largely free and fair, but the tightly controlled state media gave Jammeh strong support and there was some pre-election intimidation of figures in the recently formed opposition coalition, the National Alliance for Development and Democracy. In March 2006, in the run-up to the presidential election, a planned military coup was foiled and a number of prominent army officers were arrested. In the national assembly elections of January 2007 the APRC achieved a landslide victory, with 60% of the vote.