Democratisation under the Military in the Gambia: 1994-2000
Author(s)
Hughes, Arnold
Abstract
A “democratic audit” of the Gambia since the return to civilian rule reveals the ambiguous nature of redemocratization under military direction. The military radicals under Yahya Jammeh, ostensibly seized power to restore democracy & good governance, yet their continued rule in elected guise not only perpetuates the neopatrimonial leadership that they so despised under the deposed head-of-state, Sir Dawda Jawara, but also displays a level of intolerance & coercion towards political opposition & public criticism never found previously in the Gambia. The evidence presented here expresses doubts about the capacity & intention of military putschists to achieve a fully participatory democracy &, in the latter’s absence, raises the specter of future military intervention.
