Jean-Paul Ngoupandé
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Jean-Paul Ngoupandé (born December 6, 1948) is a former Prime Minister of the Central African Republic. Born in Dékoa, Kemo-Gribingui, he was appointed by President Ange-Félix Patassé on 6 June 1996 and resigned on 30 January 1997. Since then he has run for president of the Central African Republic twice and served as foreign minister for one year. He is president of the National Unity Party (Parti de l'unité nationale, PUN), an entity which he founded in the mid-1990s. He presents himself as an enemy of corruption and a defender of fair elections and democratic institutions.
His tenure as Prime Minister (and simultaneously as Minister of Finance) was marked by the implementation of an open-door economic policy through structural adjustment. Ngoupandé fell into a dispute with President Patassé over the speed of these reforms, and resigned in favour of Michel Gbezera-Bria in early 1997.
Standing as his party's candidate in the presidential election of 19 September 1999 (won by the incumbent Patassé), he received 3.14 percent of the vote, in sixth place.[1][2]
On 10 October 2004, the National Unity Party announced that Ngoupandé would contest the presidential election of 13 March 2005 under its banner. The election marked a return to democratic rule after the coup d'état of 15 March 2003, which installed Gen. François Bozizé as president of an interim government backed by Chad. In January 2005, Ngoupandé returned to Bangui from exile in Paris. In his campaign, he emphasized the need to bring peace and stability to the country, especially those areas most affected by rebel activity before the coup. His candidacy was originally disqualified on a technicality on 30 December 2004, along with six others,[3] but it was reinstated by Bozizé along with two others on 4 January 2005.[4] He received fourth place and 5.08% of the vote in the first round,[2][5] and he was also elected to a seat in the National Assembly from Dékoa in the first round, one of 17 candidates (out of 105 seats) to win a seat in the first round.[6][7]
On April 21, Massi signed an agreement to support Bozizé in the second round of the election.[8] After Bozizé's victory in the second round, held in May, on 19 June 2005 Ngoupandé was named Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of newly-appointed Prime Minister Élie Doté.[9]
On January 1, 2006, Ngoupandé was taken to the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris after suffering a heart attack. After treatment, he returned to Bangui on February 12.[10] He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs until September 2, 2006, when he left that position in a cabinet reshuffle and instead became special advisor to Bozizé.[11]
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[edit] Bibliography
- Ngoupandé, Jean-Paul. Chronique de la crise centrafricaine 1996-1997: le syndrome Barracuda. (1997) ISBN 2738458009
- Ngoupandé, Jean-Paul. L'Afrique sans la France: histoire d'un divorce consommé. (2002) ISBN 2226130888
- Ngoupandé, Jean-Paul. L'Afrique face à l'islam: les enjeux africains de la lutte contre le terrorisme. (2003) ISBN 2226137734
[edit] Quotations
- “We are bound to live together on this CAR land. I understand the anger and the pain. However, we all have to strive and stop the cycle of violence and the settlement of scores, which could take us too far, further than we can imagine.”
- “Coming up with a plan aimed at rebuilding the country … will require that we talk about the true issues, and God knows how many they are: insecurity, the sharp financial crisis, the AIDS pandemic and all its consequences, the disaster in the area of education. The issues are many.”
- ”This country is presenting an ugly image in Africa and in the world. It is seen as not serious.”
- “Coming to power through a democratic election does not entitle anyone to commit massacres.”
[edit] References
- ^ "RAPPORT DE LA MISSION D’OBSERVATION DES ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLES DU 19 SEPTEMBRE 1999", democratie.francophonie.org (French).
- ^ a b Elections in the Central African Republic, African Elections Database.
- ^ "Présidentielle en RCA: seuls cinq candidats admis à se présenter", AFP, December 30, 2004.
- ^ "Bozize repeals court ban on some presidential candidates", IRIN, January 5, 2005.
- ^ "RAPPORT DE LA MISSION D’OBSERVATION DES ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLE ET LEGISLATIVES DES 13 MARS ET 8 MAI 2005 EN REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE", democratie.francophonie.org (French).
- ^ Results of 2005 parliamentary first round and list of candidates qualifying for the second round, fodem.org (French).
- ^ "17 MPs elected in 1st round poll", IRIN, April 4, 2005.
- ^ "Elections: MM. Ngoupandé et Massi apportent leur soutien à M. Bozizé", AFP (izf.net), April 21, 2005.
- ^ "Newly-appointed premier names cabinet", IRIN, June 21, 2005.
- ^ "Centrafrique: retour du chef de la diplomatie après des soins en France", AFP (izf.net), February 12, 2006 (French).
- ^ "Nouveau gouvernement", fodem.org, September 3, 2006 (French).
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Gabriel Koyambounou |
Prime Minister of the Central African Republic 1996–1997 |
Succeeded by Michel Gbezera-Bria |
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