PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE GAMBIA

This manuscript interrogates the evolution of parliamentary democracy in The Gambia from 1997 to the present, with a critical focus on the functions of the legislature as a central organ of the democratic state. The analysis adopts an institutional perspective, situating parliamentary democracy not merely as a system of government, but as a structural and normative instrument indispensable to the consolidation of democratic governance.The study engages both the general, universal roles traditionally ascribed to parliaments and their specific manifestation within the Gambian constitutional and political context. It advances the argument that parliament constitutes the fulcrum of democracy, without which democratic governance and constitutionalism are rendered hollow. Within the framework of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, the legislature is constitutionally articulated as an indispensable arm of state authority, vested with broad and substantive functions that extend beyond lawmaking to encompass representation, oversight, and accountability.

Autorentext

Kalipha MM MBYE is a seasoned parliamentary administrator and law specialist. He holds a master's degree in law from the prestigious University of Bradford, United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of The Gambia with over a decade of experience in working with the National Assembly.