Oppositionella ”försvinner” inför valet i Gambia

Politics of the Gambia takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of the Gambia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The 1970 constitution of the Gambia, which divided the government into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches, was suspended after the 1994 military coup. As part of the transition process, the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council established the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) through decree in March 1995. In accordance with the timetable for the transition to a democratically elected government, the commission drafted a new constitution for the Gambia which was approved by referendum in August 1996. The constitution provides for a strong presidential government, a unicameral legislature, an independent judiciary, and the protection of human rights.

Gambia (engelska: The Gambia), formellt Republiken Gambia, är en stat i Västafrika vid Atlanten, gränsande till Senegal, som förutom vid kustlinjen omger landet. Gambia är den till ytan minsta staten på Afrikas fastland. Presidenten Yahya Jammeh tog makten i landet efter en militärkupp 1994. Demokrati har återinförts sedan 1996 och Jammeh har blivit återvald vid samtliga val sedan dess, senast 2011. Gambia är medlem i Förenta nationerna (sedan 21 september 1965), Afrikanska unionen samt Islamiska konferensorganisationen. Landet var tidigare medlem i Samväldet men lämnade organisationen i oktober 2013.