Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, Parliament may make laws for the peace, order and good government of The Gambia, and may alter the Constitution provided that the bill for this purpose is supported on the final reading in the House by the votes of two-thirds of all the voting members of the House. In addition, to alter certain provisions of the Constitution, the bill, after having been passed by the House, must be submitted to and be approved at a referendum by a majority vote of the whole electorate or by two-thirds of all the votes validly cast at the referendum. The President may at any time prorogue or dissolve Parliament. If the House of Representatives passes a resolution which is supported by the votes of a majority of all the voting members of that House, and of which not less than seven days' notice has been given in accordance with the procedure of that House, declaring that it has no confidence in the Government of The Gambia and the President does not, within three days of the passing of that resolution, dissolve Parliament, Parliament shall stand dissolved on the fourth day following the day on which that resolution was passed. Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of the first sitting of the House of Representatives after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved. At any time when The Gambia is at war, Parliament may extend the period of five years for not more than twelve months at a time, provided that the life of Parliament shall not be extended in this case for more than another five years. If after a dissolution of Parliament and before the holding of a general election of members of the House of Representatives, the President considers that owing to a state of emergency arising or existing in The Gambia or any part thereof, it is necessary to recall Parliament, the President may summon the Parliament which has been dissolved to meet, and the Parliament shall be deemed to be the Parliament for the time being, but the general election of members of the House of Representatives shall proceed and the Parliament that has been recalled shall, if not sooner dissolved, again stand dissolved on the day appointed for the nomination of candidates in that general election. There is a Supreme Court which has unlimited original jurisdiction to hear and determine any civil or criminal proceedings under any law. The Court consists of the Chief Justice and such number of Puisne Judges as may be prescribed by Parliament. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President, and the Puisne Judges are also appointed by him, but acting on the advice of a Judicial Service Commission. In addition there is a Court of Appeal and various subordinate courts. The Judicial Service Commission consists of the Chief Justice as Chairman, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and a member appointed by the President. There is also a Public Service Commission consisting of a Chairman, Deputy Chairman and four other members appointed by the President. An important part of the Constitution consists of provisions for the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. Article 11 of the Constitution reads as follows: "Whereas every person in The Gambia is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely: (a) life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law; (b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; and (c) protection for the privacy of his home and other property and from deprivation of property without compensation." In addition to specific provisions for the protection of each of these liberties, the Constitution also provides that a person charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty and shall be given full facilities for defending himself. If any person alleges that any of the provisions of the Constitution relating to these matters are being or are likely to be contravened in relation to him, he has the right of application to the Supreme Court to seek redress. GOVERNMENT The House of Representatives comprises 32 elected members, three nominated members, the Attorney-General and four Chiefs' Representative members. The People's Progressive Party forms the Government. PRESIDENT The Hon. Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Vice-President and Minister of Finance, Trade and Development and Deputy Prime Minister: Minister of Works and Communications: Alhaji the Hon. Kalilu Singhateh Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources: The Hon. Hausoon O. Semega-Janneh Attorney-General: Alhaji The Hon. M. L. Saho Minister of State in the President's Office: Alhaji A. B. Njie LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION P. S. N'Jie (United Party) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Speaker: Alhaji the Hon. Sir Alieu Jack Clerk of the House: B. O. Jobe JUDICIARY Chief Justice: The Hon. P. R. Bridges, CMG, QC MINISTRIES AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GAMBIA IN OTHER COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES High Commissioner in the United Kingdom: H. R. Monday, SR, CBE, JP; in Sierra Leone: B. O. Semega Janneh, MBE (Resident in Dakar). COMMONWEALTH HIGH COMMISSIONERS Britain: J. G. W. Ramage; Canada: Jean REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GAMBIA IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES High Commissioner to the Republic of Senegal: B. O. Semega-Janneh, MBE (also accredited to Mali and Guinea). REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GAMBIA OF France: (Ambassador) (resident in Dakar); G GHANA HANA, named after the ancient African Empire in which, it is thought by some historians, the people of the country had their origins, comprises the area in West Africa formerly known as the Gold Coast (the Gold Coast Colony, Ashanti and the Northern Territories) together with that part of Togoland which had been administered by the British Government under United Nations trusteeship. Its area is 91,843 square miles, almost the same as that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The whole area lies in the tropics. In the Northern Territories, the country is open and undulating and the climate is hot and dry. Further south, in the forest lands of Ashanti and in the south-west coastal area, the climate is hot and humid. The flat eastern coastal belt is warm and fairly dry. In most areas the mean maximum temperature is highest in March (absolute maximum 109°F) and lowest in August (absolute minimum 44°F). Coastal regions normally enjoy temperatures between 24°C (75°F) and 35°C (95°F) throughout the year. Annual rainfall varies in the different regions from 28 inches to 86 inches. The main river system of the country is that of the Volta River which is formed by the junction of the Black and White Voltas both of which rise in the Republic of Upper Volta. There are no high mountains but several ranges of hills rise to a maximum of about 3,000 feet. The central forest area is broken up into heavily wooded ridges and valleys. At the time of the census taken in 1960 the population was estimated to be 6,726,815 and at June 1966 7,945,000. A further census is being held in 1970. The country is divided into eight regions: Eastern (including Accra); Ashanti; Volta; Upper; Central; Western; Brong-Ahafo; and Northern. English is the official language and is used for instruction in schools from Primary Class II upwards. Other languages used are: Twi, in the Ashanti Region, the most widely spoken of all African languages in Ghana; Fanti, used in the coastal region, except the Accra plain where Ga is spoken; and Ewe in the Volta Region. Subsidiary languages are Nzima, used in the region west of Takoradi; Dagomba, Dagbani, Hausa and Moshie, used in the Northern Region, and many others. The principal religions are: Christianity 42.8 per cent; Traditional 38.2 per cent; Islam 12 per cent; others 7 per cent. Primary education is free and universal and in 1964, 35,000 students were enrolled for secondary education. The capital city of Ghana is Accra (population estimated in 1966 at 532,600). Other main towns with population figures are: Sekondi/Takoradi 112,800 (1966 est.); Cape Coast 41,230 (1960); Koforidua 34,856 (1960); Kumasi 252,900 (1966 est.); Sunyani 12,160 (1960); Tamale 40,443 (1960); Bolgatanga 5,513 (1960); Ho 14,519 (1960). The principal ports are Tema in the Eastern Region (approximately 20 miles from Accra) and Takoradi in the Western Region (approximately 140 miles from Accra). The main shipping line is the Black Star Line. The only international airport is at Accra, six miles from the city centre (length of runway 9,600 feet) and the country's airline is Ghana Airways Corporation. There are also internal airports at Takoradi (runway 5,700 feet); Kumasi (runway 4,500 feet); Tamale (runway 4,200 feet). There are 749 miles of 3 ft 6 in. gauge railway and the road mileage is 20,000 of which 2,053 miles are bitumen-covered trunk road and 3,277 gravel trunk road. Broadcasting and television facilities are provided by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. Ghana is provided with electricity by the hydro-electric scheme at Akosombo on the Volta river. HISTORY There is no recorded history of the Gold Coast before the coming of the Europeans. The oral traditions of the tribes at present occupying the country indicate that their arrival there was only comparatively recent, historically speaking. They appear to have originated to the north of the present boundaries of Ghana and to have migrated southwards, under the pressure of various circumstances, roughly over the period A.D. 1200 to 1600. The identity of the previous inhabitants can only be conjectured; it is certain, however, that the country has been occupied by peoples of Negro stock since before the dawn of historical consciousness in Europe. The discovery of neolithic and, more rarely, palaeolithic relics points to the country having been occupied at an even earlier date by peoples of a different race; but no clues have been found to the physical type of these prehistoric inhabitants. The Gold Coast first become known in Europe through Portuguese navigators who visited the country in the second half of the 15th century in search of gold, ivory and spices. The first recorded English trading voyage to the Coast was made by Thomas Windham in 1553 and in the course of the next three centuries the English, Danes, Dutch, Germans and Portuguese all controlled various parts of the Coast at different periods. By 1750 only the English, the Dutch and the Danes had settlements on the Coast. In 1821 the British Government assumed control of the British trading settlements and on 6th March 1844 the Chiefs in the immediate neighbourhood agreed to adhere to a Bond from which British power and jurisdiction were generally derived. The British settlements were at that time under the control of the Government of Sierra Leone. The Danes relinquished their settlements in 1850 and in 1871 the Dutch ceded theirs to the British. Under a new Charter in 1874 the Colony was still limited to the forts and settlements, but other territory under British influence was declared a Protectorate. In 1896 treaties of trade and protection were concluded with several tribes north of Ashanti and a Protectorate over the area now known as the Northern Territories was established. Boundary Commissions in 1898 and 1899 delimited the borders of the Gold Coast and neighbouring French and German African territories, and the area of British jurisdiction was clarified in 1901 by Orders in Council which declared as a Colony by settlement all territories in the Gold Coast south of Ashanti, declared Ashanti a Colony by conquest, and the Northern Territories a Protectorate under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 1890. It was thus not until 1901 that Britain assumed full responsibility for the government of the Gold Coast and its hinterland. In 1922 a part of the adjoining German territory of Togoland was placed under British administration by a League of Nations Mandate and after the Second World War was placed by agreement under the trusteeship system of the United Nations. From that time it was administered by Britain as part of the Gold Coast up to the date of independence. Constitutional advance has been continuous since 1850 when the first Legislative Council was set up in what was then the Colony Area; the first African unofficial member was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1888 and by 1916 the unofficial side of the Council consisted of three Europeans, three Paramount Chiefs and three other Africans. In 1925 a new Constitution was promulgated which introduced the principles of direct election in municipalities and indirect election in the provinces of the Colony area. The next major advance was the Burns Constitution of 1946. Until then Ashanti, and until 1951 the Northern Territories, were administered directly by the Governor; the 1946 Constitution brought in the first Legislative Council in British Africa to have a majority of African members and it represented Ashanti as well as the Colony. The peaceful progress of the Gold Coast was marred in 1948 by disturbances which occurred in the southern parts of the country and a Commission of Enquiry (the Watson Commission) was set up to make a thorough investigation into the general conditions in the country. In its Report the Commission made a number of proposals for constitutional reform, in particular that Africans should play a larger part in the proceedings of the Executive Council. As a result an all-African Committee-the Chairman was Mr Justice (later Sir Henley) Coussey-was set up in 1949. This Committee dealt in detail with the whole structure of government machinery from village area councils to the Executive Council and the Governor's reserved powers. The proposals of the Coussey Committee were generally accepted by the British Government and in 1951 elections took place under a new Constitution based on its recommendations. This provided for an Executive Council or Cabinet with the Governor as President, and a Legislative Assembly with some members representing special interests and 75 elected members with a fixed ratio between the Colony, Ashanti and the Northern Territories. In 1952 the office of Prime Minister was created; in 1953 |