Overseas Campaign To Restore Democracy Heats Up: Gambian Opposition To Meet
British MPs




The Independent

February 16, 2001
Posted to the web February 16, 2001

Alhagie Mbye
Banjul

The Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in The Gambia (U.K) in
conjunction with a cross-party group of British members of parliament and
representative of The Gambia's opposition parties are reportedly arranging a
briefing session on The Gambia at the House of Parliament on February 28,
2001.

According to reports the session will be held in the Committee room in the
British House of Commons to address among other issues, the "democratic
deficit in The Gambia" including the withdrawal of basic civil liberties and
democratic freedoms and the imprisonment and harassment of opponents and
opposition party members. The session will also try to address the use of
"government-sanctioned physical violence against the independent media, and
the rejection by government of the report and findings of the Commission of
Inquiry into the last April student massacre."

According to the reports the meeting will also discuss the cancellation of
local government elections in The Gambia and issues surrounding the
Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for later this year. The
convenor of the meeting is said to be John McDonnell, a member of the
British Parliament for the constituency of Hayes and Harlingen. Speakers
during the session will include Ms. Diane Abbot MP, Mr. Jeremy Corby MP and
representatives of various human rights groups.

According to the report representatives from organisations such as the House
of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Department for International
Development and The Foreign and Commonwealth office will attend.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, international NGOs such as
Action-Aid, and CRS are also expected during the session. Other
representatives will also include the Centre for Democracy and Development,
Pan-Africanist International, Socialist International, Liberal International
and Inter-Parliament Union (IPU).

It was also revealed that representatives of selected foreign missions as
well as international and local British media would be in attendance.
Gambians, who said they would attend the occasion, told The Independent that
they expect a crowded session.



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