Ministry Details
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[ President ] [ Ministers ] [ Parliament ] [ Political Parties ]

President

Yayah Jammeh (1994/1996)

The president is elected for a five year term by the people.

Yahya Jammeh seized power in 1994 as a young army lieutenant and has won three widely criticised multi-party elections since then. He won his third five-year term in September 2006 with more than two-thirds of the votes cast. His main rival, Oussainou Darboe, rejected the result, saying there had been widespread intimidation by local chiefs, governors and members of the security forces. Commonwealth observers said overt support for Jammeh from public officials during the run-up to the vote may have given him an unfair advantage.

Many Gambians privately disapprove of the iron-fisted nature of his rule, which has seen political opponents and journalists imprisoned without charge, but say he has done much to improve schools, hospitals and roads.

Born in 1965, Yahya Jammeh joined the army in 1984 upon leaving school. He came to power in 1994 when a bloodless military coup ousted the elected president, Dawda Jawara, who had led the country since independence.

Upon taking power he set up bodies to investigate corruption and recover pilfered public funds.

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Goverment Ministers

Click here for a complete list of government ministers.

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Parliament

The National Assembly has 53 members, 48 members elected for a five year term and 4 members appointed

The government is formed by the supporters of the president.

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Political Parties

- Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction - ruling
- National Alliance for Democracy and Development
- National Democratic Action Movement
- National Reconciliation Party
- People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism
- People's Progressive Party
- United Democratic Party
- Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress
- National Convention Party

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