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Gambia: Focus On Politics
Real estate news By AllAfrica.com
22 October 2007
We have been focusing on politics in this column. We have traced the political history of the Gambia from Pre-Colonial to Post-Independence era. The narration of events is meant to help the youngsters to know the past so as to understand the present in order to enable them shape the future. In the last issue we have dwelt into issues raised by a political party (PDOIS) in the first ever-National Education Conference. We have stopped where we said Mr. Araba Bah replaced Mr. M.E Jallow as leader of The Gambia Workers Union and was subsequently appointed by the President as a nominated member to the House of Parliament. We then asked whether he would be able to genuinely serve trade union interest in the house even where it conflicts with government interest.
The 1980s were the painful years not only for the ordinary Gambians but even so for elites. Despite these difficult times, there remained some genuine elites who refused to run or hide from the difficulties and stood their ground and tried to participate in the democratic struggle by establishing progressive newspapers with a view to help enlighten the masses and enable them take positive decisions. But this did not happen without a price.
In their bid to organize to get some recognition and protection from the state, the independent press in The Gambia struggled for almost four years between 1983 to 1987 to have what they called "A National Press Council" but their struggles bore naught. This was why at a Press Conference held with the President at State House, Mr. Dixon Colley, editor of the Nation told Sir Dawda that they the Press had been clamoring for the state to pioneer a National Press Council since 1983 but as he said nothing tangible has happened since then, eventhough he told him, "you have always promised to look into it."
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