Jean Eyeghe Ndong
Encyclopedia
Jean Eyeghé Ndong is a Gabon
ese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Gabon
from January 20, 2006 to July 17, 2009. He was also the First Vice-President of the Gabonese Democratic Party
(PDG) until 2009.
Eyeghé Ndong resigned as Prime Minister in July 2009 and announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate in the August 2009 presidential election
. Subsequently he withdrew his candidacy in favor of a joint opposition candidate, André Mba Obame
, and acted as spokesman for the opposition. He has been Vice-President of the National Union, a unified opposition party, since its creation in February 2010.
, is a nephew of Léon M'ba
, who was President of Gabon from 1960 to 1967. He was Administrative Director of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) from 1984 to 1990, then Deputy Director-General of the CNSS from 1990 to 1991 and Deputy Director-General of the National Social Guarantee Fund from 1991 to 1996.
In the December 1996 parliamentary election, Eyeghé Ndong won a seat in the National Assembly of Gabon
as a PDG candidate in the second arrondissement
of Libreville. He was then appointed to the government as Secretary of State under the Minister of Finance on 28 January 1997 and therefore did not sit in the National Assembly until 1999, when he was excluded from the first government of Prime Minister Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
.
Eyeghé Ndong again ran as the PDG candidate for the first seat from the second arrondissement of Libreville in the December 2001 parliamentary election
, but on that occasion he was defeated by Paul Mba Abessole of the National Rally of Woodcutters - Rally for Gabon (RNB-RPG). In the first round he placed second with 32.54% of the vote, behind Mba Abessole's 38.52%. Despite his failure to win a seat, he was appointed to Ntoutoume Emane's government as Minister-Delegate under the Minister of State for the Economy, Finance, the Budget, and Privatization on January 27, 2002; he worked in that capacity alongside another minister-delegate, Senturel Ngoma Madoungou. In the December 29, 2002 local elections, he was elected as a municipal councillor in Libreville, and he was subsequently elected to the Senate
.
Eyeghé Ndong remained in his position as Minister-Delegate at the Ministry of Finance for four years. He was then appointed to succeed Ntoutoume Emane as Prime Minister on January 20, 2006, one day after President Omar Bongo
was sworn in for another term. He was also named Vice-President of the PDG in October 2006.
Competing for the first seat in the 2nd and 6th Arrondissements of Libreville, Eyeghé Ndong and Mba Abessole faced each other again in the December 2006 parliamentary election
. Thus Eyeghé Ndong, the Prime Minister, challenged Mba Abessole, who was Deputy Prime Minister. Eyeghé Ndong was victorious, winning 66.52% of the vote. Eyeghé Ndong submitted the resignation of his government to Bongo on January 19, 2007, observing a constitutional requirement that the government resign after the results of a parliamentary election were announced by the Constitutional Court. On January 24, Bongo asked Eyeghé Ndong to form a new government, and Eyeghé Ndong accepted; the composition of the new government was announced on January 25, with few changes. A new government under Eyeghé Ndong was named on December 28, 2007, with its size reduced from 50 to 41 ministers.
In the April 2008 local elections
, Eyeghé Ndong prevailed in the second arrondissement of Libreville, again defeating Mba Abessole. A new 44-member government headed by Eyeghé Ndong was appointed on October 7, 2008.
succeeded him on June 10 as interim
President, in line with the constitution. Although the Constitutional Court ruled that the functions of Eyeghé Ndong's government ended upon Rogombé's swearing in, his government nevertheless remained in place for over a week during the period of Bongo's funeral and its preparations. After Bongo was buried on June 18, Eyeghé Ndong and his government resigned on June 19. Rogombé promptly reappointed Eyeghé Ndong at the head of a government virtually identical in composition to his previous government. It included 48 members; no members of the government were dismissed, although some ministers were moved to different portfolios.
Eyeghé Ndong sought the PDG nomination for the early presidential election, but the PDG leadership instead selected Defense Minister Ali-Ben Bongo
(Omar Bongo's son) as the party's presidential candidate. He then resigned as Prime Minister on 17 July 2009 and announced he was running as an independent candidate; Rogombé appointed Paul Biyoghé Mba
to succeed him on the same day. Eyeghe Ndong said that he made his decision because there had not truly been a consensus in favor of Bongo, and that therefore the proper internal party procedure was not respected. Following his resignation as Prime Minister and as First Vice-President of the PDG, he said on 21 July that he had difficulty carrying out his work as Prime Minister due to a lack of cohesion in the government and lack of support from some "very powerful" ministers. While complaining that the government accomplished little, he said that he did not give up and had "still tried to do something".
Whilst campaigning in August, Eyeghé Ndong stated that the people wanted "new governance", meaning an end to "the Bongo system" and the "embezzling of public funds and illicit enrichment".
In late August 2009, Eyeghé Ndong called for the opposition candidates to join together in support of a single candidate to face Bongo. Various opposition candidates gathered for negotiations at a meeting chaired by Eyeghé Ndong and held a secret ballot to choose a joint candidate. The vote concluded early on 28 August and André Mba Obame
—a former minister who was running as an independent—was declared the victor. Eyeghé Ndong and four other candidates then publicly rallied behind Mba Obame, withdrawing their own candidacies. A representative of Eyeghé Ndong said that the withdrawing candidates were putting the call of the people ahead of their own egos.
(MAD), a minor opposition party led by Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome
, and the MAD then merged with two other parties to create a new party, the National Union (Union nationale, UN), which was announced on 10 February 2010. The UN grouped an assortment of major opposition politicians; Zacharie Myboto
became its President, while Eyeghé Ndong was designated as one of its five Vice-Presidents.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
ese politician. He was the Prime Minister of Gabon
Heads of government of Gabon
-Prime Ministers of Gabon :-Affiliations:- Sources :* http://www.rulers.org/rulg1.html#gabon...
from January 20, 2006 to July 17, 2009. He was also the First Vice-President of the Gabonese Democratic Party
Gabonese Democratic Party
The Gabonese Democratic Party , is the ruling and dominant political party of Gabon. Its motto is Dialogue, Tolerance, Peace.It has held power since independence, first under Léon M'ba , then under Omar Bongo...
(PDG) until 2009.
Eyeghé Ndong resigned as Prime Minister in July 2009 and announced his intention to stand as an independent candidate in the August 2009 presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Gabon on 30 August 2009 after the incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba died on 8 June 2009. While the constitution stated that Interim President Rose Francine Rogombé should organise elections within 30 to 45 days, the Constitutional Court accepted the...
. Subsequently he withdrew his candidacy in favor of a joint opposition candidate, André Mba Obame
André Mba Obame
André Mba Obame is a Gabonese politician. After serving as an adviser to President Omar Bongo in the 1980s, he was a minister in the government of Gabon from 1990 to 1991 and again from 1997 to 2009; during that time, he was identified with the reformist wing of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party...
, and acted as spokesman for the opposition. He has been Vice-President of the National Union, a unified opposition party, since its creation in February 2010.
Political career
Eyeghé Ndong, who was born in LibrevilleLibreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, is a nephew of Léon M'ba
Léon M'ba
Gabriel Léon M'ba was the first Prime Minister and President of Gabon. A member of the Fang ethnic group, M'ba was born into a relatively privileged village family. After studying at a seminary, he held a number of small jobs before entering the colonial administration as a customs agent...
, who was President of Gabon from 1960 to 1967. He was Administrative Director of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) from 1984 to 1990, then Deputy Director-General of the CNSS from 1990 to 1991 and Deputy Director-General of the National Social Guarantee Fund from 1991 to 1996.
In the December 1996 parliamentary election, Eyeghé Ndong won a seat in the National Assembly of Gabon
National Assembly of Gabon
The National Assembly of Gabon is the lower house of the Parliament of Gabon. It has 120 members, 111 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies and 9 members appointed by the President.-Latest results:...
as a PDG candidate in the second arrondissement
Arrondissement
Arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.-France:The 101 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The capital of an arrondissement is called a...
of Libreville. He was then appointed to the government as Secretary of State under the Minister of Finance on 28 January 1997 and therefore did not sit in the National Assembly until 1999, when he was excluded from the first government of Prime Minister Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane is a Gabonese politician who was Prime Minister of Gabon from 23 January 1999 to 20 January 2006. Since 2008 he has been Mayor of Libreville, the capital....
.
Eyeghé Ndong again ran as the PDG candidate for the first seat from the second arrondissement of Libreville in the December 2001 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2001
Gabon held a parliamentary election on 9 December 2001.-Results:...
, but on that occasion he was defeated by Paul Mba Abessole of the National Rally of Woodcutters - Rally for Gabon (RNB-RPG). In the first round he placed second with 32.54% of the vote, behind Mba Abessole's 38.52%. Despite his failure to win a seat, he was appointed to Ntoutoume Emane's government as Minister-Delegate under the Minister of State for the Economy, Finance, the Budget, and Privatization on January 27, 2002; he worked in that capacity alongside another minister-delegate, Senturel Ngoma Madoungou. In the December 29, 2002 local elections, he was elected as a municipal councillor in Libreville, and he was subsequently elected to the Senate
Senate of Gabon
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Gabon. It has 102 members, elected for a six year term in single-seat constituencies by local and départemental councillors...
.
Eyeghé Ndong remained in his position as Minister-Delegate at the Ministry of Finance for four years. He was then appointed to succeed Ntoutoume Emane as Prime Minister on January 20, 2006, one day after President Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
was sworn in for another term. He was also named Vice-President of the PDG in October 2006.
Competing for the first seat in the 2nd and 6th Arrondissements of Libreville, Eyeghé Ndong and Mba Abessole faced each other again in the December 2006 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2006
A legislative election was held in Gabon on 17 December 2006 ....
. Thus Eyeghé Ndong, the Prime Minister, challenged Mba Abessole, who was Deputy Prime Minister. Eyeghé Ndong was victorious, winning 66.52% of the vote. Eyeghé Ndong submitted the resignation of his government to Bongo on January 19, 2007, observing a constitutional requirement that the government resign after the results of a parliamentary election were announced by the Constitutional Court. On January 24, Bongo asked Eyeghé Ndong to form a new government, and Eyeghé Ndong accepted; the composition of the new government was announced on January 25, with few changes. A new government under Eyeghé Ndong was named on December 28, 2007, with its size reduced from 50 to 41 ministers.
In the April 2008 local elections
Gabonese local elections, 2008
Local elections were held in Gabon on April 27–30, 2008, with 1,990 municipal and departmental councillors being elected.- Overview :...
, Eyeghé Ndong prevailed in the second arrondissement of Libreville, again defeating Mba Abessole. A new 44-member government headed by Eyeghé Ndong was appointed on October 7, 2008.
2009 events
Following the death of President Bongo on June 8, 2009, Senate President Rose Francine RogombéRose Francine Rogombé
Rose Francine Rogombé is a Gabonese politician who was Acting President of Gabon from June 2009 to October 2009, following the death of long-time President Omar Bongo. She constitutionally succeeded Bongo due to her role as President of the Senate, a post to which she was elected in February 2009...
succeeded him on June 10 as interim
Interim
Interim is an album by British rock band The Fall, compiled from live and studio material and released in 2004. It features the first officially released versions of "Clasp Hands", "Blindness" and "What About Us?" — all of which were later included on the band's next studio album Fall Heads Roll —...
President, in line with the constitution. Although the Constitutional Court ruled that the functions of Eyeghé Ndong's government ended upon Rogombé's swearing in, his government nevertheless remained in place for over a week during the period of Bongo's funeral and its preparations. After Bongo was buried on June 18, Eyeghé Ndong and his government resigned on June 19. Rogombé promptly reappointed Eyeghé Ndong at the head of a government virtually identical in composition to his previous government. It included 48 members; no members of the government were dismissed, although some ministers were moved to different portfolios.
Eyeghé Ndong sought the PDG nomination for the early presidential election, but the PDG leadership instead selected Defense Minister Ali-Ben Bongo
Ali-Ben Bongo
Ali Bongo Ondimba is a Gabonese politician who has been President of Gabon since October 2009.Bongo is the son of Omar Bongo, who was President of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009...
(Omar Bongo's son) as the party's presidential candidate. He then resigned as Prime Minister on 17 July 2009 and announced he was running as an independent candidate; Rogombé appointed Paul Biyoghé Mba
Paul Biyoghé Mba
Paul Biyoghé Mba is a Gabonese politician who has been Prime Minister of Gabon since July 2009. A member of the Gabonese Democratic Party , he served for years as a minister in the government prior to his appointment as Prime Minister....
to succeed him on the same day. Eyeghe Ndong said that he made his decision because there had not truly been a consensus in favor of Bongo, and that therefore the proper internal party procedure was not respected. Following his resignation as Prime Minister and as First Vice-President of the PDG, he said on 21 July that he had difficulty carrying out his work as Prime Minister due to a lack of cohesion in the government and lack of support from some "very powerful" ministers. While complaining that the government accomplished little, he said that he did not give up and had "still tried to do something".
Whilst campaigning in August, Eyeghé Ndong stated that the people wanted "new governance", meaning an end to "the Bongo system" and the "embezzling of public funds and illicit enrichment".
In late August 2009, Eyeghé Ndong called for the opposition candidates to join together in support of a single candidate to face Bongo. Various opposition candidates gathered for negotiations at a meeting chaired by Eyeghé Ndong and held a secret ballot to choose a joint candidate. The vote concluded early on 28 August and André Mba Obame
André Mba Obame
André Mba Obame is a Gabonese politician. After serving as an adviser to President Omar Bongo in the 1980s, he was a minister in the government of Gabon from 1990 to 1991 and again from 1997 to 2009; during that time, he was identified with the reformist wing of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party...
—a former minister who was running as an independent—was declared the victor. Eyeghé Ndong and four other candidates then publicly rallied behind Mba Obame, withdrawing their own candidacies. A representative of Eyeghé Ndong said that the withdrawing candidates were putting the call of the people ahead of their own egos.
National Union
On 30 December 2009, the planned creation of a new, united opposition party was announced, and Eyeghé Ndong was among the various opposition leaders participating in it. He said on the occasion that, by uniting, they were expressing a "common will to build a better future". Eyeghé Ndong then joined the African Development MovementAfrican Development Movement
The African Development Movement is a political party in Gabon, led by Pierre Claver Zeng Ebome. In the 9 December 2001 parliamentary election, the party won one out of 120 seats. In the 17 December/24 December 2006 parliamentary election, the party retained one out of 120 seats.MAD is part of the...
(MAD), a minor opposition party led by Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome
Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome
Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome was a Gabonese politician and musician. He held a succession of ministerial portfolios in the government of Gabon during the 1990s and subsequently served as a Deputy in the National Assembly of Gabon...
, and the MAD then merged with two other parties to create a new party, the National Union (Union nationale, UN), which was announced on 10 February 2010. The UN grouped an assortment of major opposition politicians; Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto is a Gabonese politician and President of the National Union , an opposition party. He was the Administrative Secretary of the Gabonese Democratic Party from 1972 to 1990 and served in the government from 1978 to 2001...
became its President, while Eyeghé Ndong was designated as one of its five Vice-Presidents.