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  Seedy Cham, COPG Chairman By Sheriff Saidykhan     The Coalition of Progressive Gambians (COPG) is set for a nationwide protest, amid government's failure to fulfil their demands, chief among which is the cost of living conditions in the country.  “We opted therefore to plan and call for a nationwide protest to ensure our concerns and demands are considered and addressed,” the statement said.  The pressure group further reminded the government of President Adama Barrow of the concerns presented to the Permanent Secretary for Interior. “The Coalition of Progressive Gambians therefore calls on government to take these concerns seriously and swiftly address the short term concerns and demands presented. The short term demands and concerns included addressing the high cost of living, the audit and TRRC Recommendations  and most importantly bringing back the Draft Constitution. The COPG express disappointment on the failure of government to address the concern...

|Is here such a thing as Democratic Authoritarianism? Turkey under the Leadership of Recep Tayyib Erdogan| By Almamy Fanding Taal On July 9th, 2018, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was inaugurated as the first directly elected President of Turkey with enhanced executive powers following the victory of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its Coalition partner the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) at the snap election that was called and held on 24th June 2018.  That victory brought back to the driving seat the two allied parties that had achieved the most parliamentary seats, the AKP and MHP. Coalition Governments everywhere for the sake of stability and development are party led except in the Gambia, it is the case in Senegal, Germany, and Turkey. In the past eighteen months many things have happened in Turkey and around the world. President Recep Tayyib Erdogan secured an emphatic win in the Presidential election which was never in doubt.  His latest victory gives him a wide mand...

  By Sheriff Saidykhan & Amadou Manneh The residents of London Corner especially those near the water-channel have lamented their growing predicaments  over access to road in the past two days.  The residents stated that the rain of the past two days have prevented them from going out of their houses. They also stated that they are finding it difficult to go to the shop or market because the roads are filled with stagnant waters. They further adduced that, if any heavy downpour occur the water will cause floods in their homes and houses. Bintou Bah,  a resident said the rain of the past two days haven’t flooded in their house yet but it has blocked their roads. Bintou’s house was flooded in the last August flash flood  that caused deaths and destruction  across the country.     She said that the water channel  has been unsafe for residents to go out and about, because it is dangerous to walk in the potholes fill with dirty waters. Ny...

                By Amadou Manneh                          Niger Military Junta is set  to charge former President  Mohamed Bazoum with ‘high treason’ following his overthrown from office. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in a press statement have condemned the ‘high treason charge’ against Bazoum.  “This is another form of provocation and contradicts the reported willingness of the military authorities in the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional order through peaceful means. ECOWAS  still recognise Mohamed Bazoum as the president of Niger and demanded the military junta to reinstate him to power.  ECOWAS condemns his illegal detention and calls for his immediate release and reinstatement,” the statement said. In  July the military junta of Niger had overthrown the democratic elected government of Mohamed Bazoum causing widesp...

                    By Amadou Manneh       Honourable Halifa Sallah, Secretary General of the People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, (PDOIS) has diagnosed the current political crisis in Senegal and Niger.   In Niger, last week the military junta overthrown the democratic elected government of Mohamed Bazoum. This sparked widespread condemnation from the international community.  The Economic Community Of West African States [ECOWAS] has imposed sanctions on Niger’s military junta and further threatened military action. The West African body further called on the junta to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. Meanwhile, in Senegal the fierce opposition leader and  Macky Sall’s  main challenger, Ousmane Sonko faces disqualification from running in the upcoming election, following widespread demonstrations in Dakar. In an interv...

  “At the beginning, we encountered difficulties in training and identifying players but as time goes on,we started improving by organising friendly matches and training during weekends. The aim of the summer camp is to engage the students,put them together.” said Mr Sherriffo Suso a teacher at ABC school He made the statement at the  opening of a football match at the close of The ABC Schools  5 day Summer Camp between Brikama and Jeshwang Girls Football Academies at Bottrop Football Field on Sunday morning. Mr Suso who is also a coach of the ABC girls academy, disclosed that the Butterfly Friends conceived the idea of establishing a girls football academy last September primarily to develop soccer skills of girls. Muhammad Secka  ,another Coach of ABC  reiterated the  initiative  of the Butterfly Friends while expressing  appreciation for  the sponsorship packages in education and Health. The beneficiary girls academy footballers positively...

| The threat of military action in Niger by ECOWAS, and the role which The Gambia must play as a member state |   By Pa Louis Sambou   I t is certainly neither an inaccuracy nor an exaggeration to state that the Western part of the African continent which is officially known as West Africa, has had, and still experience crises which by any measure, are of far greater magnitude and scope than a coup in the Republic of Niger. Boko Haram terrorists kidnapping innocent schoolgirls, ISIS – inspired jihadist terrorising communities and conquering swathes of territory in the Sahel regions of West Africa, Alpha Condé, Alasan Outtara, corrupting their republican Constitutions, and Mackey Sall corrupting Senegalese democracy to prolong their respective times in office but to name a few of the crises which faced and still face the region, albeit without any serious response from the regional bloc, ECOWAS. However, ECOWAS officialdom wish to have us believe that a bloodless mutiny in Nige...