Oumar Mariko
Encyclopedia
Oumar Mariko is a Mali
an doctor, politician and noted former student activist. He is the secretary general of African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence
(SADI) and has twice run for President of Mali, in 2002 and 2007.
, his engagement in politics began in his student days. He worked as part of the National Union of Students and Pupils of Mali
(UNEEM) at the Dioila lycée from 1976 to 1977 and the Badalabougou lycée from 1978 to 1979. He was a member of the union's organisation bureau from 1979 to 1980. A founding member of the Mali Students and Pupils' Association, he was its general secretary
from 1990 to 1992. Mariko led protests that eventually led to the overthrow of Moussa Traoré
in 1991 and participated in the Transitional Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP) representing the Student Association.
Oumar Mariko is a medical doctor and the founding director of the Mah Doumbia surgical clinic at Bamako
. He has also been the director general of the private radio network Kayira since 1995 and is the external relations secretary of the URTEL
, the trade union
representing radio and television broadcasting in Mali.
, in 1996 Mariko founded a political party, African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (SADI), in opposition to President Alpha Oumar Konaré
. He is the secretary-general of SADI, which is avowedly leftist.
Mariko was chosen as the party's candidate for the April 2002 presidential election
at its first ordinary congress in March 2002. In the election, he finished in 12th place with .88% of the vote. In the July 2002 parliamentary election, Mariko was a candidate in Kolondiéba
constituency.
At the end of a SADI national conference, on February 24, 2007 Mariko was designated as the party's candidate for the April 2007 presidential election
. He campaigned on the platform of opposition to the current economic, social, education and healthcare policies, declaring his wish for a "Democratic and popular state". He opposed the privatisation of the Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile
(CMDT), the Huilerie cotonnière du Malo (Huicoma) and called for the re-nationalisation of the railways. He also opposed the alleged "favouritism" of the outgoing president Amadou Toumani Touré
in social housing. Throughout the campaign, Mariko declared that "elections will be neither transparent, nor sincere and even less credible", accusing the Citizen's Movement, which supported Touré, of attempting fraud. He finished in fourth place with 2.72% of the vote. In a press conference on May 29, Mariko denounced the electoral commission and the Constitutional Court for their handling of the election, saying that the former should be dissolved. He was also sharply critical of the main opposition coalition, the Front for Democracy and the Republic
, in which he did not participate.
He won a seat in the National Assembly of Mali
in the July 2007 parliamentary election
on a SADI list in Kolondiéba; the other candidate on the list was Moussa Coumbéré. The SADI list took second place, with 21.28% of the vote, in the first round, behind the National Congress for Democratic Initiative
(CNID) list, which received 25.29%. However, the SADI list won in the second round with 61.76% of the district's vote.
Mariko is a critic of economic globalization
and the Bretton Wood Accords
.
As of 2007–2008, Mariko is President of the Commission of Foreign Affairs, Malians Living Abroad, and African Integration in the National Assembly.
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
an doctor, politician and noted former student activist. He is the secretary general of African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence
African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence
The African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence is a left-wing political party in Mali. It was founded by Cheick Oumar Sissoko and Oumar Mariko in 1996; Sissoko is the party's President and Mariko is its Secretary-General, the top post in the party...
(SADI) and has twice run for President of Mali, in 2002 and 2007.
Biography
Born in BafoulabéBafoulabé
Bafoulabé is a town and commune in south-western Mali. It is located in the Region of Kayes. Bafoulabé is the capital of the Cercle of Bafoulabé, which in 1887 was the first Cercle to be created in Mali.-Local administration:...
, his engagement in politics began in his student days. He worked as part of the National Union of Students and Pupils of Mali
National Union of Students and Pupils of Mali
National Union of Students and Pupils of Mali was a student movement in Mali.UNEEM was founded in January 1979. It was banned by the government....
(UNEEM) at the Dioila lycée from 1976 to 1977 and the Badalabougou lycée from 1978 to 1979. He was a member of the union's organisation bureau from 1979 to 1980. A founding member of the Mali Students and Pupils' Association, he was its general secretary
General secretary
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
from 1990 to 1992. Mariko led protests that eventually led to the overthrow of Moussa Traoré
Moussa Traoré
General Moussa Traoré is a Malian soldier and politician. As a Lieutenant, he led the military ouster of President Modibo Keïta in 1968. Thereafter he served as Head of State from 1968-1979, and President of Mali from 1979 to 1991, when he was overthrown by popular protests and military coup...
in 1991 and participated in the Transitional Committee for the Salvation of the People (CTSP) representing the Student Association.
Oumar Mariko is a medical doctor and the founding director of the Mah Doumbia surgical clinic at Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
. He has also been the director general of the private radio network Kayira since 1995 and is the external relations secretary of the URTEL
URTEL
URTEL is an acronym for Union des Radios et Televisions Libres du Mali, the agency responsible for regulating television and radio transmission operations in Mali.-Operations:...
, the trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
representing radio and television broadcasting in Mali.
Political career
Together with Cheick Oumar SissokoCheick Oumar Sissoko
Cheick Oumar Sissoko is a Malian film director and politician.-Biography:As a student in Paris, Cheick Oumar Sissoko obtained a DEA in African History and Sociology and a diploma in History and Cinema from the Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales...
, in 1996 Mariko founded a political party, African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (SADI), in opposition to President Alpha Oumar Konaré
Alpha Oumar Konaré
Alpha Oumar Konaré was the President of Mali for two five-year terms , and was Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2003 to 2008.-Scholarly career:...
. He is the secretary-general of SADI, which is avowedly leftist.
Mariko was chosen as the party's candidate for the April 2002 presidential election
Malian presidential election, 2002
Mali held a presidential election in 2002 to choose the President of Mali. The first round was held on 28 April 2002 and the second round was held on 12 May...
at its first ordinary congress in March 2002. In the election, he finished in 12th place with .88% of the vote. In the July 2002 parliamentary election, Mariko was a candidate in Kolondiéba
Kolondieba
Kolondieba is a small town and commune in the Cercle of Kolondieba in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 35,149.- References :...
constituency.
At the end of a SADI national conference, on February 24, 2007 Mariko was designated as the party's candidate for the April 2007 presidential election
Malian presidential election, 2007
A presidential election was held in Mali on 29 April 2007. President Amadou Toumani Touré ran for re-election against seven other candidates and won in the first round with about 71% of the vote, according to final results.-Pre-campaign:...
. He campaigned on the platform of opposition to the current economic, social, education and healthcare policies, declaring his wish for a "Democratic and popular state". He opposed the privatisation of the Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile
Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile
The Compagnie malienne pour le développement du textile , created in 1974, is a Malian cotton company. The company is owned by the Malian state and is charged with the production and marketing of Mali's cotton...
(CMDT), the Huilerie cotonnière du Malo (Huicoma) and called for the re-nationalisation of the railways. He also opposed the alleged "favouritism" of the outgoing president Amadou Toumani Touré
Amadou Toumani Touré
Amadou Toumani Touré is the president of Mali. He overthrew a military ruler, Moussa Traoré in 1991, then handed power to civilian authorities the next year...
in social housing. Throughout the campaign, Mariko declared that "elections will be neither transparent, nor sincere and even less credible", accusing the Citizen's Movement, which supported Touré, of attempting fraud. He finished in fourth place with 2.72% of the vote. In a press conference on May 29, Mariko denounced the electoral commission and the Constitutional Court for their handling of the election, saying that the former should be dissolved. He was also sharply critical of the main opposition coalition, the Front for Democracy and the Republic
Front for Democracy and the Republic
The Front for Democracy and the Republic is an opposition coalition in Mali that fought the presidential election on 29 April 2007 and the parliamentary election of 1 July and 22 July 2007. The FDR is an umbrella organisation, bringing together 16 independent political parties and groups...
, in which he did not participate.
He won a seat in the National Assembly of Mali
National Assembly of Mali
The unicameral National Assembly of Mali is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 14 and 28 July 2002, has a total of 160 members. 147 members are directly elected in single or multi-member constituencies using the Two-Round system...
in the July 2007 parliamentary election
Malian parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in Mali on 1 July 2007 and 22 July. In the first round, there were about 1,400 candidates for 147 seats in the National Assembly....
on a SADI list in Kolondiéba; the other candidate on the list was Moussa Coumbéré. The SADI list took second place, with 21.28% of the vote, in the first round, behind the National Congress for Democratic Initiative
National Congress for Democratic Initiative
The National Congress for Democratic Initiative is a political party in Mali, founded in 1990 and led by Mountaga Tall.In the first presidential election following the transition to democracy , Mountaga Tali received 11.41% of votes and placed third.In 1995, a group of militants led by Tiébilé...
(CNID) list, which received 25.29%. However, the SADI list won in the second round with 61.76% of the district's vote.
Mariko is a critic of economic globalization
Economic globalization
Economic globalization refers to increasing economic interdependence of national economies across the world through a rapid increase in cross-border movement of goods, service, technology and capital...
and the Bretton Wood Accords
United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference
The United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, commonly known as the Bretton Woods conference, was a gathering of 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations at the Mount Washington Hotel, situated in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to regulate the international monetary and financial order after...
.
As of 2007–2008, Mariko is President of the Commission of Foreign Affairs, Malians Living Abroad, and African Integration in the National Assembly.