Raimundo Pereira
| Raimundo Pereira | |
|---|---|
| President of Guinea-Bissau Interim |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 January 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | Carlos Gomes |
| Preceded by | Malam Bacai Sanhá |
| In office 3 March 2009 – 8 September 2009 |
|
| Prime Minister | Carlos Gomes |
| Preceded by | João Bernardo Vieira |
| Succeeded by | Malam Bacai Sanhá |
| President of the National People's Assembly | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 December 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Francisco Benante |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 February 1955 [citation needed] Dar Salam, Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau)[citation needed] |
| Political party | African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde |
Raimundo Pereira (born 9 February 1955) is a Guinea-Bissauan lawyer and politician who is serving as Interim President of Guinea-Bissau since 2011 following the departure of President Malam Bacai Sanhá for medical treatment abroad and carried on in this capacity after Sanha's death. Pereira has been the President of the National People's Assembly since 22 December 2008. He also served as president in an interim capacity from 3 March 2009 to 8 September 2009. Pereira is a member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Pereira is a lawyer by training.[1]
[edit] Political career
In the November 2008 legislative election, in which PAIGC won a parliamentary majority, Pereira was elected to the National People's Assembly as a PAIGC candidate in the 28th constituency, located in Bissau, the capital.[2] He was chosen by PAIGC to replace Francisco Benante (also a PAIGC member) as President of the National People's Assembly after the election, and accordingly, on 22 December 2008 he was elected as President of the National People's Assembly. He received 60 votes, while a rival PAIGC candidate, Helder Proença, received 37.[3]
[edit] Presidency
Following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira by the army on 2 March 2009, the army stated that Pereira, as President of the National People's Assembly, would succeed Vieira as President of Guinea-Bissau on an interim basis, in accordance with the constitution.[4]
Pereira was sworn in on 3 March 2009;[5] according to the constitution, he had 60 days to organize a presidential election.[6] Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior and an ECOWAS delegation were present for his swearing in. On that occasion, Pereira urged the international community to help Guinea-Bissau "regain the reflexes of a stable state".[7] The opposition Social Renovation Party (PRS) criticized Pereira's succession, arguing that "a debate open to all active forces in the country in an appropriate forum like parliament to reflect on the kind of state to set up" would have been preferable.[8] At Vieira's funeral on 10 March, Pereira said that meeting the 60-day deadline for holding a new election was "one of our greatest challenges."[9]
Pereira sought the PAIGC nomination for the presidential election, but on 25 April, 2009, the PAIGC Central Committee chose Malam Bacai Sanhá, who was interim President of Guinea-Bissau from 1999 to 2000, as the party's presidential candidate. He received 144 votes, while Pereira received 118.[10][11] Sanhá went on to win the election and succeeded Pereira on 8 September 2009.[12]
[edit] References
- ^ PAIGC chooses president of Guinea Bissau’s parliament A Semana, 11 December 2008
- ^ Litos Sanca, "RESULTADOS DEFINITIVOS E LISTA NOMINAL DOS DEPUTADOS DAS ELEIÇÕES LEGISLATIVAS DE 2008", Agência Bissau, 27 November 2008 (Portuguese).
- ^ "Assembleia Nacional bissau-guineense investe novos deputados", Panapress, 22 December 2008 (Portuguese).
- ^ Guinea-Bissau president shot dead BBC News, 2 March 2009
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau gets interim leader", Al Jazeera, 3 March 2009.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau president shot dead", BBC News, 2 March 2009.
- ^ "New GBissau leader seeks to restore order", AFP, 3 March 2009.
- ^ "New Guinea-Bissau leader on tightrope towards polls", AFP, 4 March 2009.
- ^ "'Stop killing ourselves' plea at G Bissau leader's funeral", AFP, 10 March 2009.
- ^ "Guinée-Bissau: le candidat du parti au pouvoir investi pour la présidentielle", AFP, 25 April 2009 (French).
- ^ "Malam Bacai Sanhá candidato do PAIGC às eleições presidenciais", Panapress, 25 April 2009 (Portuguese).
- ^ "Sanha makes his pledge", Sapa-AFP (IOL), 8 September 2009.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francisco Benante |
President of the National People's Assembly 2008–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by João Bernardo Vieira |
President of Guinea-Bissau Acting 2009 |
Succeeded by Malam Bacai Sanhá |
| Preceded by Malam Bacai Sanhá |
President of Guinea-Bissau Interim 2012–present |
Incumbent |
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