Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Claver Zeng Ebome (8 September 1953 – 19 May 2010) was a Gabon
ese 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
. Zeng Ebome was the President of the African Development Movement
(MAD), a minor political party, until February 2010, when it merged itself into the National Union; afterward he was briefly a Vice-President of the National Union from February 2010 to May 2010.
. He then attended the Omar Bongo Technical School and Omar Bongo University
, both located in Libreville
. Later he studied in France
at the National School of Treasury Services. He gained fame in Gabon as a singer beginning in the mid-1970s and was appointed as Central Inspector of the Treasury in 1985.
A member of the opposition Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), Zeng Ebome was appointed to the government of Gabon in 1990. In light of his musical career, he was nicknamed the "crooner
politician" after he entered politics. He served for a time as Minister of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform and for a time as Minister of Youth, Sports, Culture, and the Arts.
Zeng Ebome was Minister of Social Affairs, National Solidarity and the Family as of January 1997. He was then appointed as Minister of Human Rights and Relations with the Constitutional Institutions on 25 January 1999. Speaking before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
on 24 March 1999, he stressed the importance and universality of human rights
and said that "in Gabon, we believe that the full realization of human beings is in freedom". He also said that rich countries should work to readjust their economic relationships with poor countries, especially by cancelling debt owed by poor countries.
Following the December 2001 parliamentary election
, the election for the second seat from Woleu Department
was held over again on 26 May 2002, and Zeng Ebome was victorious, receiving 52.11% of the vote and defeating Fidele Bengone-Bayi of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party
(PDG). Zeng Ebome was the only MAD candidate to win a seat in the 2001–2002 election. During the parliamentary term that followed the election, Zeng Ebome was Vice-President of the Group of Republican Democrats (GDR), a parliamentary group composed of deputies from small parties allied with the PDG. On 8 January 2003, he was elected as President of the National Council for Democracy, an official body tasked with mediating disputes between political parties. The Council included present and former heads of government and both houses of Parliament, as well as political party leaders.
Zeng Ebome supported President Omar Bongo
's candidacy in the November 2005 presidential election
and worked for his re-election. As a representative of the Presidential Majority, Zeng Ebome was included on the joint majority–opposition commission on the reform of the electoral process, which began its work in May 2006 and included 12 representatives from the Presidential Majority as well as 12 from the opposition.
In the December 2006 parliamentary election
, Zeng Ebome was re-elected to the National Assembly as a MAD candidate, again winning the second seat (Ellelem) in Woleu Department; he received 58.23% of the vote, while the PDG candidate, Jacqueline Atsame Allogo, received only 13.86%. As was the case in the previous election, Zeng Ebome was the only MAD candidate to win a seat in the National Assembly. During the parliamentary term that followed the 2006 election, he was an ordinary member of the GDR parliamentary group.
In September 2007, Zeng Ebome, acting as spokesman for leaders of the Presidential Majority, expressed firm support for President Bongo's project to exploit iron deposits in Bélinga
in a statement on national television. He also criticized non-governmental organizations that opposed the project. When Bongo laid the foundation stone for the University of Oyem on 20 December 2007, Zeng Ebome spoke on the occasion and thanked Bongo.
MAD held its Fourth Congress on 10 February 2008, reaffirming its participation in the Presidential Majority and re-electing Zeng Ebome as its President. Following Bongo's death in June 2009, the party went into opposition, supporting the independent candidacy of Casimir Oyé-Mba
in the August 2009 presidential election
.
On 30 December 2009, various opposition leaders, including Zeng Ebome, announced plans for the creation of a new, united opposition party. Zeng Ebome then held a brief extraordinary congress of the MAD on 8 February 2010, at which he confirmed that his party would cease to exist. Although Zeng Ebome had been continuously re-elected to the National Assembly as a MAD candidate, his party remained very small, unable to muster support outside of his stronghold of Ellelem.
Zeng Ebome's announcement was followed by the launch of a unified opposition party, the National Union (UN), on 10 February 2010. The UN was created through the merger of the MAD with two other opposition parties, and it grouped an assortment of opposition leaders; Zeng Ebome was designated as one of the UN's five Vice-Presidents.
Zeng Ebome was hospitalized in Libreville in April 2010 and underwent surgery. He was then flown to Paris
for further treatment on 2 May 2010. He died at the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris in the early hours of 19 May 2010. Confirming his death through a statement later in the day, UN President Zacharie Myboto
described Zeng Ebome as an "illustrious patriot and fighter for democracy" and expressed condolences to Zeng Ebome's wife, Marie Constance, and his children.
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 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
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:...
. Zeng Ebome was the President of the African Development Movement
African 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 political party, until February 2010, when it merged itself into the National Union; afterward he was briefly a Vice-President of the National Union from February 2010 to May 2010.
Biography
Zeng Ebome was born at Ekouasse in northern Gabon, and he received his primary and secondary education in OyemOyem
Oyem is the capital of Woleu-Ntem province in northern Gabon, lying on the N2 road and the River Ntem.-Geography:The town lies on a plateau at an elevation of about . It is the administrative and transport center for the surrounding agricultural area...
. He then attended the Omar Bongo Technical School and Omar Bongo University
Omar Bongo University
Omar Bongo University was founded as the National University of Gabon in 1970. It was renamed in honor of President Omar Bongo in 1978. It is based in Libreville.-Source:* bc.edu* uob.ga...
, both located in Libreville
Libreville
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 :...
. Later he studied in France
France
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...
at the National School of Treasury Services. He gained fame in Gabon as a singer beginning in the mid-1970s and was appointed as Central Inspector of the Treasury in 1985.
A member of the opposition Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), Zeng Ebome was appointed to the government of Gabon in 1990. In light of his musical career, he was nicknamed the "crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
politician" after he entered politics. He served for a time as Minister of the Civil Service and Administrative Reform and for a time as Minister of Youth, Sports, Culture, and the Arts.
Zeng Ebome was Minister of Social Affairs, National Solidarity and the Family as of January 1997. He was then appointed as Minister of Human Rights and Relations with the Constitutional Institutions on 25 January 1999. Speaking before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
United Nations Commission on Human Rights
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006...
on 24 March 1999, he stressed the importance and universality of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and said that "in Gabon, we believe that the full realization of human beings is in freedom". He also said that rich countries should work to readjust their economic relationships with poor countries, especially by cancelling debt owed by poor countries.
Following the December 2001 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2001
Gabon held a parliamentary election on 9 December 2001.-Results:...
, the election for the second seat from Woleu Department
Woleu Department
Woleu is a department of Woleu-Ntem Province in northern Gabon. The capital lies at Oyem. It borders Equatorial Guinea to the west....
was held over again on 26 May 2002, and Zeng Ebome was victorious, receiving 52.11% of the vote and defeating Fidele Bengone-Bayi of the ruling 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). Zeng Ebome was the only MAD candidate to win a seat in the 2001–2002 election. During the parliamentary term that followed the election, Zeng Ebome was Vice-President of the Group of Republican Democrats (GDR), a parliamentary group composed of deputies from small parties allied with the PDG. On 8 January 2003, he was elected as President of the National Council for Democracy, an official body tasked with mediating disputes between political parties. The Council included present and former heads of government and both houses of Parliament, as well as political party leaders.
Zeng Ebome supported 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....
's candidacy in the November 2005 presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 2005
Gabon held a presidential election on 27 November 2005. Incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967 , sought another seven-year term against four other candidates. According to an announcement of results by the country's interior minister, Bongo won the election with 79.2% of the vote...
and worked for his re-election. As a representative of the Presidential Majority, Zeng Ebome was included on the joint majority–opposition commission on the reform of the electoral process, which began its work in May 2006 and included 12 representatives from the Presidential Majority as well as 12 from the opposition.
In the December 2006 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2006
A legislative election was held in Gabon on 17 December 2006 ....
, Zeng Ebome was re-elected to the National Assembly as a MAD candidate, again winning the second seat (Ellelem) in Woleu Department; he received 58.23% of the vote, while the PDG candidate, Jacqueline Atsame Allogo, received only 13.86%. As was the case in the previous election, Zeng Ebome was the only MAD candidate to win a seat in the National Assembly. During the parliamentary term that followed the 2006 election, he was an ordinary member of the GDR parliamentary group.
In September 2007, Zeng Ebome, acting as spokesman for leaders of the Presidential Majority, expressed firm support for President Bongo's project to exploit iron deposits in Bélinga
Belinga
Belinga is a location in Gabon with as yet unexploited iron ore deposits. These ore deposits extend into neighbouring Cameroon and Congo.- Mining :The Belinga iron reserves were discovered in 1895...
in a statement on national television. He also criticized non-governmental organizations that opposed the project. When Bongo laid the foundation stone for the University of Oyem on 20 December 2007, Zeng Ebome spoke on the occasion and thanked Bongo.
MAD held its Fourth Congress on 10 February 2008, reaffirming its participation in the Presidential Majority and re-electing Zeng Ebome as its President. Following Bongo's death in June 2009, the party went into opposition, supporting the independent candidacy of Casimir Oyé-Mba
Casimir Oyé-Mba
Casimir Marie Ange Oyé-Mba is a Gabonese politician. After serving as Governor of the Bank of Central African States from 1978 to 1990, Oyé-Mba was Prime Minister of Gabon from 3 May 1990 to 2 November 1994...
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...
.
On 30 December 2009, various opposition leaders, including Zeng Ebome, announced plans for the creation of a new, united opposition party. Zeng Ebome then held a brief extraordinary congress of the MAD on 8 February 2010, at which he confirmed that his party would cease to exist. Although Zeng Ebome had been continuously re-elected to the National Assembly as a MAD candidate, his party remained very small, unable to muster support outside of his stronghold of Ellelem.
Zeng Ebome's announcement was followed by the launch of a unified opposition party, the National Union (UN), on 10 February 2010. The UN was created through the merger of the MAD with two other opposition parties, and it grouped an assortment of opposition leaders; Zeng Ebome was designated as one of the UN's five Vice-Presidents.
Zeng Ebome was hospitalized in Libreville in April 2010 and underwent surgery. He was then flown to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for further treatment on 2 May 2010. He died at the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris in the early hours of 19 May 2010. Confirming his death through a statement later in the day, UN President 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...
described Zeng Ebome as an "illustrious patriot and fighter for democracy" and expressed condolences to Zeng Ebome's wife, Marie Constance, and his children.