THIRD WORLD PRESIDENCIES IN THE GAMBIA, ZIMBABWE AND TOGO: THE RULE OF JAMMEH, MUGABE AND THE EYADéMAS

Long lasting presidencies are one of the most significant characteristics of the postcolonial state nature in Sub-Saharan Africa. Presidents who ruled more than two terms with five years each by staying in power at least ten years justified their right to long lasting rule in two ways. In the first one, they claimed that it is their right to be the president by referring to the leadership role they assumed in the colonial struggle given against colonizers. This was more valid for the first presidents of the postcolonial period in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the second one, they thought it was their right to long lasting rule because they regarded themselves as the leaders who ended the political and economic instability caused by the former government members. This was rather observed in the aftermath of the first presidential term in postcolonial Sub-Saharan Africa. Even though presidents in two situations pledges political and economic welfare to people, segments of authoritarianism in their administration appeared by time. This study tends to analyze the authoritarian administrations of Yahya Jammeh in the Gambia, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and Gnassingbé- Faure Eyadéma in Togo by linking the concept of long lasting presidencies to the Third World state theory. In this context, this study regards these three long lasting presidents as the shapers of the Third world state in their own countries