Henri Konan Bédié
Encyclopedia
Aimé Henri Konan Bédié is an Ivorian
politician. He was President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, and he is currently the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally
(PDCI-RDA).
, he became 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 Economy and Finance. While serving as Finance Minister, Bédié became the first Chairman of the IMF
and World Bank
's joint Development Committee, holding that post from 1974 to 1976. He was Special Advisor to the World Bank Group
's International Finance Corporation
from 1978 to 1980. In 1980, Bédié was elected to the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
, and he was then elected as President of the National Assembly in December 1980. He was re-elected as President of the National Assembly in 1985 and 1990.
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 between Bédié and Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara
ensued; Bédié was successful and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on December 9. Bédié was subsequently elected as President of the PDCI in April 1994.
As President, Bédié encouraged national stability but was accused of political repression and stratospheric levels of corruption. 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.
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. 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. Upon his arrival at the airport in Lomé
, he was greeted by Togolese President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
.
Bédié departed Togo on January 3, 2000 and went to Paris. The PDCI announced in early 2000 that it would hold a congress to choose new leadership, and Bédié denounced this as a "putsch"; the party decided to retain Bédié in the leadership, however. An international arrest warrant for Bédié and Niamien N'Goran, who had served under Bédié as Finance Minister, was issued in early June 2000 for alleged theft of public funds. Speaking on French television, Bédié said that he was not worried that he might be returned to Côte d'Ivoire to face trial at the hands of a government that he deemed illegal, expressing his "faith in the law of France".
He registered as a candidate in the October 2000 presidential election
, although Emile Constant Bombet, who had served as Interior Minister under Bédié, defeated him for the PDCI presidential nomination in August. Bédié was barred from running by the Constitutional Court, along with Bombet, and on October 10 Bédié called for a boycott of the election.
On June 23, 2001, Laurent Gbagbo
, who had been elected President in the 2000 election, met with Bédié in Paris and urged him to return to Côte d'Ivoire. He eventually returned on October 15, 2001. A few days later, the 11th Ordinary Congress of the PDCI was postponed indefinitely at his request.
Bédié spoke at a national reconciliation forum on November 12, 2001. He attributed the country's political crisis to the December 1999 coup and he urged all Ivorian politicians to denounce the coup. He also said that the nationalistic concept of Ivorité, which was promoted during his presidency, was an attempt to bolster "cultural identity" and not a means of political exclusion. According to critics of Ivorité, it was divisive, xenophobic, and intended to eliminate political competition from Ouattara—who was claimed to be the son of Burkinabé parents—but Bédié rejected this criticism. When the PDCI Congress was eventually held in April 2002, Bédié defeated Laurent Dona Fologo for the party leadership; he received 82% of the vote.
Bédié later spent another year in France, returning to Côte d'Ivoire on September 11, 2005. Upon his return, he said that President Gbagbo should not remain in office after the end of his term in October 2005 and that a transitional government should be installed.
In an interview with Agence France Presse on May 20, 2007, he said that he would be the PDCI candidate in the next presidential election
, which was then expected to be held in 2008.
Bédié addressed a rally in Dabou
on September 22, 2007, in which he declared the need for a "shock treatment" to return the country to normal, promised to restore the economy, and strongly criticized Gbagbo.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
politician. He was President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999, and he is currently the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally
Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire - African Democratic Rally
The Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire — African Democratic Rally is a political party in Côte d'Ivoire. From independence in 1960 to 1990 it was the only legal party, and was led by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny. In 1990 the first multi-party elections took place, but the party remained in...
(PDCI-RDA).
Biography
Bédié was born in Dadiékro in Daoukro Department. After studying in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he became Côte d'Ivoire's first ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
following independence in 1960, and from 1966 to 1977 he served in the government as Minister of Economy and Finance. While serving as Finance Minister, Bédié became the first Chairman of the IMF
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
's joint Development Committee, holding that post from 1974 to 1976. He was Special Advisor to the World Bank Group
World Bank Group
The World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
's International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....
from 1978 to 1980. In 1980, Bédié was elected to the National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire
The National Assembly of Côte d'Ivoire is Côte d'Ivoire's unicameral legislative body. Evolved from semi-representative bodies of the French Colonial period, the first National Assembly was constituted on 27 November 1960 with 70 elected member in accordance with the Constitution of 31 October...
, and he was then elected as President of the National Assembly in December 1980. He was re-elected as President of the National Assembly in 1985 and 1990.
As National Assembly President, Bédié succeeded long-time President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Félix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
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 between Bédié and Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Dramane Ouattara is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Côte d'Ivoire since 2011. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund and the Central Bank of West African States , and he was the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to...
ensued; Bédié was successful and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on December 9. Bédié was subsequently elected as President of the PDCI in April 1994.
As President, Bédié encouraged national stability but was accused of political repression and stratospheric levels of corruption. 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
Rally of the Republicans
The Rally of the Republicans is a liberal party in Côte d'Ivoire. It is presently the country's governing party; the party's leader, Alassane Ouattara, is the current President of Côte d'Ivoire....
(RDR) and the Ivorian Popular Front
Ivorian Popular Front
The Ivorian Popular Front , known by its French initials FPI, is a centre-left, democratic socialist and social democratic, political party in Côte d'Ivoire....
(FPI), decided to boycott the election
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
. Bédié won the election with 96% of the vote.
Bédié was overthrown in a military coup on December 24, 1999
1999 Ivorian coup d'état
The 1999 Ivorian coup d'état took place on December 24, 1999. It was the first coup d'état since the independence of Côte d'Ivoire.- Background :...
, 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. Retired general Robert Guéï
Robert Guéï
Robert Guéï was the military ruler of the Côte d'Ivoire from December 24, 1999 to October 26, 2000.Guéï was born in Kabakouma, a village in the western Man region, and was a member of the Yakouba tribe. He was a career soldier: under the French administration, he was trained at the Ouagadougou...
became president. Bédié fled to a French military base before leaving Côte d'Ivoire by helicopter on December 26 and going to Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
, along with family members. Upon his arrival at the airport in Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...
, he was greeted by Togolese President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
Gnassingbé Eyadéma
General Gnassingbé Eyadéma , was the President of Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005. He participated in two successful military coups, in January 1963 and January 1967, and became President on April 14, 1967...
.
Bédié departed Togo on January 3, 2000 and went to Paris. The PDCI announced in early 2000 that it would hold a congress to choose new leadership, and Bédié denounced this as a "putsch"; the party decided to retain Bédié in the leadership, however. An international arrest warrant for Bédié and Niamien N'Goran, who had served under Bédié as Finance Minister, was issued in early June 2000 for alleged theft of public funds. Speaking on French television, Bédié said that he was not worried that he might be returned to Côte d'Ivoire to face trial at the hands of a government that he deemed illegal, expressing his "faith in the law of France".
He registered as a candidate in the October 2000 presidential election
Ivorian presidential election, 2000
A presidential election was held in Côte d'Ivoire on 22 October 2000. Robert Guéï, who headed a transitional military regime following the December 1999 coup d'état, stood as a candidate in the election. All of the major opposition candidates except for Laurent Gbagbo of the Ivorian Popular Front ...
, although Emile Constant Bombet, who had served as Interior Minister under Bédié, defeated him for the PDCI presidential nomination in August. Bédié was barred from running by the Constitutional Court, along with Bombet, and on October 10 Bédié called for a boycott of the election.
On June 23, 2001, Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
, who had been elected President in the 2000 election, met with Bédié in Paris and urged him to return to Côte d'Ivoire. He eventually returned on October 15, 2001. A few days later, the 11th Ordinary Congress of the PDCI was postponed indefinitely at his request.
Bédié spoke at a national reconciliation forum on November 12, 2001. He attributed the country's political crisis to the December 1999 coup and he urged all Ivorian politicians to denounce the coup. He also said that the nationalistic concept of Ivorité, which was promoted during his presidency, was an attempt to bolster "cultural identity" and not a means of political exclusion. According to critics of Ivorité, it was divisive, xenophobic, and intended to eliminate political competition from Ouattara—who was claimed to be the son of Burkinabé parents—but Bédié rejected this criticism. When the PDCI Congress was eventually held in April 2002, Bédié defeated Laurent Dona Fologo for the party leadership; he received 82% of the vote.
Bédié later spent another year in France, returning to Côte d'Ivoire on September 11, 2005. Upon his return, he said that President Gbagbo should not remain in office after the end of his term in October 2005 and that a transitional government should be installed.
In an interview with Agence France Presse on May 20, 2007, he said that he would be the PDCI candidate in the next presidential election
Ivorian presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in two rounds in Côte d'Ivoire . The first round was held on 31 October 2010 and a second round, in which President Laurent Gbagbo faced opposition leader Alassane Ouattara, was held on 28 November 2010...
, which was then expected to be held in 2008.
Bédié addressed a rally in Dabou
Dabou
Dabou is a town in Dabou Department of Côte d'Ivoire, located in the country's Lagunes Region. Dabou is also the port city that dominates that department. The area is served by Dabou Airport....
on September 22, 2007, in which he declared the need for a "shock treatment" to return the country to normal, promised to restore the economy, and strongly criticized Gbagbo.