Henri Konan Bédié: Difference between revisions
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'''Aimé Henri Konan Bédié''' (born [[May 5]], [[1934]]) was [[President of Côte d'Ivoire]] of [[Côte d'Ivoire]] from [[1993]] to [[1999]] and is the President of the [[Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire]] (PDCI).<ref name=PDCI>[http://pdcirda.org/?page_id=39 Biography at PDCI website] {{fr}}.</ref> |
'''Aimé Henri Konan Bédié''' (born [[May 5]], [[1934]]) was [[President of Côte d'Ivoire]] of [[Côte d'Ivoire]] from [[1993]] to [[1999]] and is the President of the [[Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire]] (PDCI).<ref name=PDCI>[http://pdcirda.org/?page_id=39 Biography at PDCI website] {{fr}}.</ref> |
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Bédié was born in [[Dadiékro]] in [[Daoukro Department]]. He was Côte d'Ivoire's first ambassador to the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] following independence in 1960, and from 1966 to 1977 he served in the government as Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs. From 1980 to 1993, he was President of the [[National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire]].<ref name=PDCI/> |
Bédié was born in [[Dadiékro]] in [[Daoukro Department]]. He was Côte d'Ivoire's first ambassador to the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] following independence in 1960, and from 1966 to 1977 he served in the government as Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs.<ref name=PDCI/> He was the first Chairman of the [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]] and [[World Bank]]'s joint [[Development Committee]],<ref name=PDCI/><ref>[http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/EXTARCHIVES/0,,contentMDK:20104879~pagePK:36726~piPK:36092~theSitePK:29506,00.html "Pages from World Bank History: The Development Committee, 1974-1984"], World Bank website, April 11, 2003.</ref> serving from 1974 to 1976. From 1980 to 1993, he was President of the [[National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire]].<ref name=PDCI/> |
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As National Assembly President, Bédié succeeded long-time president [[Félix Houphouët-Boigny]] upon the latter's death in December 1993. He announced that he was assuming the presidency on state television a few hours after Houphouët-Boigny's death on [[December 7]]. A brief power struggle ensued between Bédié and Prime Minister [[Alassane Ouattara]] ensued; Bédié was successful and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on [[December 9]].<ref>"Parliament Leader Prevails In Ivory Coast", Associated Press (''Tulsa World''), December 10, 1993.</ref> |
As National Assembly President, Bédié succeeded long-time president [[Félix Houphouët-Boigny]] upon the latter's death in December 1993. He announced that he was assuming the presidency on state television a few hours after Houphouët-Boigny's death on [[December 7]]. A brief power struggle ensued between Bédié and Prime Minister [[Alassane Ouattara]] ensued; Bédié was successful and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on [[December 9]].<ref>"Parliament Leader Prevails In Ivory Coast", Associated Press (''Tulsa World''), December 10, 1993.</ref> |
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Revision as of 07:12, 20 August 2007
Aimé Henri Konan Bédié (born May 5, 1934) was President of Côte d'Ivoire of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999 and is the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI).[1]
Bédié was born in Dadiékro in Daoukro Department. He was Côte d'Ivoire's first ambassador to the United States and Canada following independence in 1960, and from 1966 to 1977 he served in the government as Minister of Economic and Financial Affairs.[1] He was the first Chairman of the IMF and World Bank's joint Development Committee,[1][2] serving from 1974 to 1976. From 1980 to 1993, he was President of the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire.[1]
As National Assembly President, Bédié succeeded long-time president Félix Houphouët-Boigny upon the latter's death in December 1993. He announced that he was assuming the presidency on state television a few hours after Houphouët-Boigny's death on December 7. A brief power struggle ensued between Bédié and Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara ensued; Bédié was successful and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on December 9.[3]
As President, Bédié encouraged national stability but was accused of political repression and stratospheric levels of corruption.[citation needed] In the October 1995 presidential election, Ouattara was barred from participating through a revision to the electoral code that was widely believed to have been done specifically to prevent his candidacy, and the two main opposition parties, the Rally of the Republicans (RDR) and the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), decided to boycott the election. Bédié won the election with 96% of the vote.[4]
Bédié was overthrown in a military coup on December 24, 1999, after he rejected the demands of soldiers who rebelled on December 23; one of these demands was for the release of members of the RDR.[5] Retired general Robert Guéï became president. Bédié fled to a French military base before leaving Côte d'Ivoire by helicopter on December 26 and going to Togo, along with family members.[5][6] Upon his arrival at the airport in Lomé, he met with Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema.[6]
In May 2007, he said that he would be the PDCI candidate in the next presidential election, expected to be held in early 2008.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Biography at PDCI website Template:Fr.
- ^ "Pages from World Bank History: The Development Committee, 1974-1984", World Bank website, April 11, 2003.
- ^ "Parliament Leader Prevails In Ivory Coast", Associated Press (Tulsa World), December 10, 1993.
- ^ Robert J. Mundt, "Côte d'Ivoire: Continuity and Change in a Semi-Democracy", Political Reform in Francophone Africa (1997), ed. Clark and Gardinier, page 197.
- ^ a b "COTE D'IVOIRE: Ousted president arrives in Togo", IRIN, December 26, 1999.
- ^ a b "Ousted leader, family, aides flee to Togo", AFP (The Washington Times), December 27, 1999.
- ^ "Côte d'Ivoire: Bédié "impatient" d'aller à l'élection présidentielle", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), May 20, 2007 Template:Fr.
See also
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