The Gambia
Gambia adopts its draconian media bill

afrol News, 2 May - The Parliament adopted the bill setting up the National Media Commission, on the 2nd May in the evening. The Gambian journalists' union is about to make an injunction, so that the law is not enacted until a Supreme Court judgement. 

- "This bill aims to create a National Media Commission that will be a full-scale press court," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Secretary General Robert Ménard said in a letter to the Gambian parliament, Sheriff Mustapha Dibba, the last thuersday. RSF called on the speaker of the Gambian parliament to do everything he could to block passage of a new press bill that it said would seriously endanger press freedom.

- "In no circumstances must a press monitoring body replace regular courts. The extent of the Commission's powers, with a chairman appointed by the head of state, is a serious threat to press freedom. The bill also violates the Gambian constitution, which guarantees such freedom," said RSF to Dibba. 

Observers fear the new bill is "seriously threaten press freedom" in a country which is gradually sliding away from the democratic principles it traditionally has observed. 

Since President Yayah Jammeh came to power in a military coup (the country's first) in 1994, The Gambia slowly has moved away from the democratic principles it once was proud of. Although initially promising democratisation, President Jammeh systematically has worked towards gaining full control of political life and civil society. 

Observers claim The Gambia under Jammeh's control is heading towards a one-party-state, an outspoken desire of the President. President Jammeh won last October's presidential elections through intimidation and fraud, according to the opposition. The principal opposition parties therefore boycotted the legislative elections held in January. Analysts warn of the trends observed in The Gambia, where the un-educated youthful President, apparently ridden by complexes, stakes out a more paranoid policy of gathering total control. Frightening examples of this have earlier been seen in Uganda and the "Central African Empire".

The Gambian Parliament discussed the new press bill on tuersday, the day before of the international World Press Freedom Day. 

Sources: Based on RSF and afrol archives

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