Nicéphore Soglo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born 29 November 1934) is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He has been the Mayor of Cotonou since 2003.
After receiving degrees in law and economics from the University of Paris, Soglo returned to Benin (then called Dahomey) and held government posts in the areas of finance and economics. Following the 1972 coup that brought Mathieu Kérékou to power, he left the country and held positions at international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
In the late 1980s, faced with growing dissatisfaction over a stagnant economy, the Kérékou government agreed to convene a national conference that would lead the country towards multiparty democracy. The conference designated Nicéphore Soglo interim Prime Minister, and he took office on 12 March 1990. The conference produced a constitution that was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum held on 2 December 1990.
In the country's first multiparty presidential election, Soglo received first place in the first round, held on 10 March 1991, with 36.31% of the vote. A run-off against Kérékou followed on 24 March in which Soglo won a strong majority, 67.73% of the vote.[1] He took office on 4 April 1991.
The following year, the Renaissance Party of Benin (known by the acronym PRB or RB) was founded by Rosine Sogolo; and her husband would be appointed leader of the party in 1994.
In 1993, President Soglo headed the Benin delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development.[2]
During his presidency, Soglo took efforts to refurbish Benin's devastated economy. These economic measures caused civil unrest and undermined his popularity. Despite these problems, his government was praised for its adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights.
In the March 1996 presidential election, Soglo again received first place in the first round, but in the second round he was defeated by Mathieu Kérékou, taking 47.51% of the vote.[1] Soglo alleged election fraud, but this was rejected by the Constitutional Court.[3]
In a bid to regain the presidency in the March 2001 election, he placed second behind Mathieu Kérékou, winning 27.12% of the vote. Although Soglo qualified to participate in a run-off against Kérékou, he withdrew alleging irregularities, which resulted in a Kérékou victory.[1] Soglo could not run for president again in the March 2006 election due to the age limit of 70 years; his son Lehady Soglo ran as the candidate of the Renaissance Party instead,[4] coming in fourth place with 8.44% of the vote.[1] Another son, Ganiou, also ran in the election,[5] but he fared more poorly than Lehady, receiving only about 0.17% of the vote.[1]
Nicéphore Soglo and the RB were victorious in the December 2002–January 2003 municipal election in Cotonou, Benin's largest city.[6] In the 12th arrondissement, Soglo defeated pro-government Movement candidate Sévérin Adjovi.[6][7] Soglo was elected as Mayor by the city's council on February 13, 2003, receiving the support of 41 of the 45 councillors. He said that he would focus on reducing pollution and improving waste management and drainage.[8]
Soglo ran for re-election as a municipal councillor in the April 2008 local election in Cotonou; he was also the RB candidate for Mayor, vowing to continue to modernize the city and create a system of public transportation. He faced Jérôme Dandjinou of the governing Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin.[9] Following the local election, the municipal councillors re-elected Soglo as Mayor on June 3, 2008. There were 48 votes in favor of Soglo and one abstention.[10]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e Elections in Benin, African Elections Database.
- ^ Japan, Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MOFA): 28 African nations
- ^ Benin, Year in Review: 1996, Britannica.com.
- ^ "Underfinanced Benin election promises change", afrol News, March 3, 2006.
- ^ Joe Bavier, "Son of Benin's Ex-President Vies for Presidency", VOA News, March 1, 2006.
- ^ a b "Opposition set to win in major Beninese cities", afrol News, January 12, 2003.
- ^ "I- SITUATION POLITIQUE INTERIEURE", ambafrance-bj.org (French).
- ^ "Ex-president elected mayor of Cotonou", IRIN, February 17, 2003.
- ^ "Cotonou courtisée par les candidats aux élections locales du Bénin", African Press Agency, April 18, 2008.
- ^ "Former Beninese president re-elected Cotonou Mayor", African Press Agency, June 4, 2008.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mathieu Kérékou |
President of Benin 1991 – 1996 |
Succeeded by Mathieu Kérékou |
| Preceded by Abdou Diouf |
Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States 1993 – 1994 |
Succeeded by Jerry Rawlings |
|
|||||||||||
