Alassane Ouattara

Alassane Dramane Ouattara , called TEENAGER , is a politician of Ivory Coast, born on January 1st 1942 with Dimbokro, close to the capital Yamoussoukro or with Kong (northern of the country).

Schooling

primary Studies in Ivory Coast
Secondary studies in Upper Volta, current Burkina Faso,
Higher learning at the university of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (the United States) - economic Doctorate of State in Sciences) with Thabo Mbeki.

Career of economist

After a doctorate in economy in the United States, Drexel Institute off Technology and the University of Pennsylvania, he becomes economist with the the IMF then occupies various post offices with the Central bank of the States of West Africa ( BCEAO ) of which that of governor. In 1990, it is called to solve the economic crisis which strikes the Ivory Coast as a president of the inter-ministerial committee, then as a Prime Minister the following year.

Political beginnings

As a Prime Minister, it follows budgetary austerity measures which are felt hard by the population; but it ends up cleansing public finances and giving again confidence with the backers. It also creates the residence permit for the foreign workers. For this period, the opponent and from now on since 2000 president Laurent Gbagbo, stopped following an antigovernment demonstration, is condemned on March 6th to two years of prison. Gbagbo and the others condemned ended up being amnestied at the end of July 1992. With died of Felix Houphouët-Boigny in December 1993, it accepts a general position of director associated with the the IMF.

TEENAGER is supported by the Western countries and enjoys a good reputation near the international financial organizations. He is very popular near the Moslems of the North of the country, and the workmen (often foreign) of the Cacao and the Café.

The opponent candidate with the presidential election

Its partisans, from now on very many in the country, indicate it like chair Rassemblement of the republicans (RDR) in 1995, left rested by the deputy Djéni Kobina one year before (September 1994).

In 1995 Laurent Gbagbo leads an active boycott of the elections against a constitution not allowing democratic elections (absent from electoral independent commission, absence of the single bulletin of vote, etc). This constitution by basing the eligibility of any candidate to the presidency on the nationality of the Ivory Coast of his/her father and his mother prevents the candidature of Ouattara for the elections. Ouattara was not presented, considering that the Electoral code did not allow it to him: according to the old electoral code (and as in the United States - as Bernard Debré in Le Figaro points out it - Nov. 25 99), the candidate with the Presidency of the Republic having to be born of the Ivory Coast. At the time, the party of Ouattara then directed by Djéni Kobina, and that of Gbagbo form the same block: the republican Face. Absent from the Ivory Coast during all the period pre and post electoral, they are its militants and those of the FPI which will make the expenses of the repression of the active boycott. Several members of the republican Face are imprisoned by the mode of Henri Konan Bedié chair at that time.

In Christmas 1999, president Bédié is reversed by the general Robert Guéï. The prisoners of the MACA, the civil prison of Abidjan, all are released, including the political prisoners of which those of the RDR. Ouattara returns from Paris. Guéi installs a government known as “of transition”, composed of soldiers and civilians, of which a majority of RDR, so much so that the FPI initially refuses to take part in it, judging that it is about “a government RDR”. Ouattara speaks about “Révolution of the eyelets”. Supposed the ethnic tensions grow blurred, since the new government counts (like the precedent) with little as many Moslems as of Christians (what until been used forever there as criterion in Ivory Coast). An advisory commission is formed by the soldiers, with representatives of all the parties, to write a new Constitution to be subjected to referendum as soon as possible. It proves that the Commission proposals concerning the conditions of nationality to arise to the Presidency of the Republic do not soften them compared to those of Ière République (conditions always very close to those of the United States). From where tensions which lead to the departure of the government of the ministers RDR, who were majority there the shortly after the coup d'etat.

The social climate is degraded and in favor ones of Alassane Ouattara will undergo much injustices on behalf of the soldiers: intimidations, removal and murders will be their daily newspaper.

Alassane Ouattara then sees its candidature for the presidential election again drawn aside by the Supreme court in which is based on the new Constitution adopted by more than 86% of the voters 2000. Some will veront there the fruit of a political arrangement between Gbagbo and the general Robert Guéi to draw aside the others " Grands" of which the former president Henri Konan Bédié. This situation contributes to cause disorders which will make thousands of victims in the country, whose sadly “Charnier of Yopougon” the shortly after the elections celebrates which carry after several Laurent Gbagbo disputes to the head of the country. 54 people supposed by the opposition to be all originating in North and supposed to be partisans of Ouattara are found assassinated.

A few months later, during the mandate of Laurent Gbagbo, her candidature is still rejected by the supreme court for the legislative elections whereas he was candidate in the town of Kong.

Following the various disorders which will follow, a Forum for the national reconciliation (October 9th - December 18th 2001), bringing together the principal political officials of the country.

Since the September 19th 2002, a rebellion left north occupies the northern half of the country (see Civil war of Ivory Coast). Indeed Ouattara had pointed out under the new republic that: “I am peaceful, but my troops are not it: if I am not elected, it will be a blood bath”.

After having signed the peace agreements of Linas-Marcoussis, of Accra II then, Alassane Ouattara, the rebels of the new Forces, Henri Konan Bedié and president Gbagbo is engaged in a new process of mediation under the aegis of the African Union. In the long term this process must make it possible to advance towards the implementation of the agreements of Marcoussis and Accra III as well as the organization of presidential election transparent and opened all in October 2005.

Threatened in Abidjan, Ouattara takes in 2002 the way of the exile towards the France.

The January 15th 2005, the direction of the Gathering of the republicans announced that Alassane Ouattara would be its candidate for the presidential election envisaged in October 2005. In front of the questions about the legitimacy of this candidature, the assistant general secretary of the party indicates that the candidature will have to be confirmed by a vote of the militants in the months to come. The presidential election is pushed back on several occasions.

The January 26th 2006, Ouattara returns from its exile to France to conduct campaign for probable the future presidential election.

TEENAGER has friendships in France, among which Nicolas Sarkozy and Laurent Fabius.

Key dates of its professional path

April 1968 - August 1972: economist with the the IMF in Washington.
August 1973 - February 1975: operations manager with the seat of the Central bank of the States of West Africa (BCEAO) with Paris.
February 1975 - December 1982: to advise of the governor and director of studies of the BCEAO in Paris then with Dakar.
January 1983 - October 1984: vice-governor of the BCEAO in Dakar.
November 1984 - October 1988: director of the Africa department in the IMF in Washington.
October 1988 - December 1990: governor of the Central bank of the States of West Africa in Dakar.
April at November 1990: chair inter-ministerial committee of the Coordination of the program of stabilization and economic revival of the Ivory Coast.
November 1990 - December 1993: Prime Minister of the Ivory Coast.
May 1994 - July 1999: assistant editor of the Funds international currency.

See too

Internal bond

External bond

official biography on the site of the Gathering of the republicans

Sources

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