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Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Ouattara.jpg
Outtara with his French-Jewish wife[1]
President of the Ivory Coast
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 December 2010*
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro
Jeannot Ahoussou-Kouadio
Daniel Kablan Duncan
Preceded by Laurent Gbagbo
Prime Minister of the Ivory Coast
In office
7 November 1990 – 9 December 1993
President Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Preceded by Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Succeeded by Daniel Kablan Duncan
Personal details
Born (1942-01-01) 1 January 1942 (age 82)
Dimbokro, French West Africa
(now Côte d'Ivoire)
Political party Democratic Party (Before 1994)
Rally of the Republicans (1994–present)
Spouse(s) Dominique Nouvian (1991–present)
Alma mater Drexel University
University of Pennsylvania
Religion Islam
*The presidency was disputed between Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo from 4 December 2010 to 11 April 2011.


Alassane Ouattara (French pronunciation: ​[alasan wataʁa]; born 1 January 1942) is the current head of French backed puppet state ruling Ivory Coast. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - where he rose to be deputy head - [2] and the Central Bank of West African States (French: [Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help), BCEAO), and he was the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993, appointed to that post by President Félix Houphouët-Boigny.[3][4][5][6] Ouattara became the President of the Rally of the Republicans (RDR), an Ivorian political party, in 1999.

Early life

Ouattara was born on 1 January 1942, in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire, French West Africa.[3][4] He is a descendant from his father's side of the Muslim rulers of the Kong Empire (Outtara himself is Muslim), also known as the Wattara or Ouattara Empire.[7] He received a bachelor of science degree in 1965 from the Drexel Institute of Technology, which is now called Drexel University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[3] Ouattara then obtained both his master's degree in economics in 1967 and a PhD in economics in 1972 from the University of Pennsylvania.[3]

Ouattara is married to Dominique Nouvian, a French businesswoman, since 1991.There have been claims that the marriage ceremony was presided over by French President Nicolas Sarkozy when he was mayor of Neuilly[8].

Career at financial institutions

He was an economist for the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.[4] from 1968 to 1973, and afterwards he was the BCEAO's Chargé de Mission in Paris from 1973 to 1975.[3][4] With the BCEAO, he was then Special Advisor to the Governor and Director of Research from February 1975 to December 1982 and Vice Governor from January 1983 to October 1984. From November 1984 to October 1988 he was Director of the African Department at the IMF, and in May 1987 he additionally became Counsellor to the Managing Director at the IMF.[4] On 28 October 1988 he was appointed as Governor of the BCEAO, and he was sworn in on 22 December 1988.[9] Ouattara has a reputation as a hard-worker, keen on transparency and good governance. [2]

Prime Minister

In April 1990, Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny appointed Ouattara as Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Coordination of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Programme of Côte d'Ivoire; while holding that position, Ouattara also remained in his post as BCEAO Governor.[4] He subsequently became Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire on 7 November 1990,[4][9] after which Charles Konan Banny replaced him as Interim BCEAO Governor.[9]

While serving as Prime Minister, Ouattara also carried out presidential duties for a total of 18 months, including the period from March 1993 to December 1993, when Houphouët-Boigny was ill.[10] Houphouët-Boigny died on 7 December 1993, and Ouattara announced his death to the nation, saying that "Côte d'Ivoire is orphaned".[11][12] A brief power struggle ensued between Ouattara and Henri Konan Bédié, the President of the National Assembly, over the presidential succession; Bédié prevailed and Ouattara resigned as Prime Minister on 9 December.[13] Ouattara then returned to the IMF as Deputy Managing Director, holding that post from 1 July 1994,[3][4] to 31 July 1999.[4]

President of the RDR

While serving as Deputy Managing Director at the IMF, in March 1998 Ouattara expressed his intention to return to Côte d'Ivoire and take part in politics again.[14] After leaving the IMF in July 1999, he was elected President of the RDR on 1 August 1999 at an extraordinary congress of the party,[15] as well as being chosen as its candidate for the next presidential election.[16] He said that he was eligible to stand in the election, pointing to documents which he said demonstrated that he and his parents were of Ivorian birth.

He was accused of forging these papers, however, and an investigation was begun.[17][18] President Bédié described Ouattara as a Burkinabé and said that Houphouët-Boigny "wanted Alassane Ouattara to concern himself only with the economy".[19] Ouattara's nationality certificate, issued in late September 1999,[20] was annulled by a court on 27 October.[20][21] An arrest warrant for Ouattara was issued on 29 November, although he was out of the country at the time; he nevertheless said that he would return by late December.[22]

On 24 December, the military seized power, ousting Bédié. Ouattara returned to Côte d'Ivoire after three months in France on 29 December, hailing Bédié's ouster as "not a coup d'état", but "a revolution supported by all the Ivorian people".[23][24]

A new constitution, approved by referendum in July 2000, controversially barred presidential candidates unless both of their parents were Ivorian,[25] and Ouattara was disqualified from the 2000 presidential election.[26] The issues surrounding this were major factors in the Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire, which broke out in 2002.

When asked in an interview about Ouattara's nationality, Burkinabé President Capt. Blaise Compaoré responded, "For us things are simple: he does not come from Burkina Faso, neither by birth, marriage, or naturalization. This man has been Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire."

President Gbagbo affirmed on 6 August 2007 that Ouattara could stand in the next Ivorian presidential election.[27] Ouattara was designated as the RDR's presidential candidate at its Second Ordinary Congress on 1–3 February 2008; he was also re-elected as President of the RDR for another five years. At the congress, he invited the former rebel New Forces, from whom he had previously distanced himself, to team up with the RDR for the election.[28]

At the time, Ouattara said publicy that he did not believe Gbagbo would organize transparent and fair elections.[29]

The RDR and the PDCI are both members of the Rally of Houphouëtistes, and while Ouattara and Bédié ran separately in the first round, each agreed to support the other if only the other made it into a potential second round.[28]

2010 presidential election and aftermath

Script error: No such module "main". In the 2010 presidential election, Ouattara ran against incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. Gbagbo, whose mandate had expired in 2005, had delayed the election several times. The Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire missed the deadline for declaring the results as papers were snatched from an official who was about to read the results on live TV. Later on, on 2 December 2010, the Independent Electoral Commission of Côte d'Ivoire (CEI) declared Alassane Ouattara winner of the second round of the presidential election. However, the Constitutional Council called this illegal because it was no longer in the hands of the Commission to give results. The Constitutional Council promised to finish its process and come out with results. The Constitutional Council has the final word on the outcome of elections. The head of the Constitutional Council then invalidated 500,000 votes from pro-Ouattara regions (which constituted almost 10% of the total vote), and thus, declared Gbagbo as the winner. The United Nations, which according to a 2007 peace deal is required to certify election results, rejected the Constitutional Council's figures.[30]

The army closed the borders and foreign news organizations were banned from broadcasting from within Côte d'Ivoire. Mr Gbagbo was sworn in at a midday ceremony by the President of the Constitutional Council on Saturday 4 December 2010. Hours later, Ouattara said he had also taken the presidential oath. The African Union, the European Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the UN, the United States, and France were among the nations and international organizations that rejected Gbagbo's presidency. The International Monetary Fund stated they would only work with a government recognized by the United Nations.[31] On 8 December, the UN Security Council formally recognized Ouattara as the winner, and, in a statement, asked "all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the election."[32]

In the crisis that followed, Ouattara attempted to negotiate with Gbagbo for several months but seeing no resolution, ordered a military offensive which allowed him to seize control of most of the country. After an aborted negotiation attempt, Gbagbo was arrested by French special forces[33][34] at the presidential palace and handed over to Ouattara forces in Abidjan on 11 April, 2011. The country has been severely damaged by the war, observers consider that it will be a challenge for Ouattara to rebuild the economy and reunite Ivorians.[35]

The developments in the country have been welcomed by world leaders. U.S. President Barack Obama applauded news of the latest developments in Côte d'Ivoire and CNN quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying Gbagbo's capture "sends a strong signal to dictators and tyrants.... They may not disregard the voice of their own people".[36]

2012 Marriage Law Row

In a controversial move in November 2012, President Ouattara sacked his government in a row over a new marriage law that would make wives joint heads of the household. His own party supported the changes but the elements of the ruling coalition resisted, with the strongest opposition coming from the Democratic Party of Cote d’Ivoire.[37]

References

  1. http://972mag.com/cote-divoire-leader-visits-israel-in-shadow-of-deportations/48619/
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara in profile", BBC News Online, 11 April 2011.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Profile at IMF website, 12 December 2005.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 CV at Ouattara's website (French).
  5. "A tale of 2 presidents". CBC News. 25 March 2011.
  6. "Gbagbo: Preventing ECOWAS military misadventure in Cote d'Ivoire".
  7. Côte d'Ivoire's new president: The king of Kong: Alassane Ouattara takes charge but can he keep the peace? The Economist, dated Apr 20th 2011.
  8. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/profile-outtara-the-quiet-man-with-connections-2263657.html
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Basic texts and milestones", bceao.int.
  10. "Houphouët-Boigny et ADO: du comité interministériel à la Primature", ado.ci (French).
  11. "Décès du Président Félix Houphouët-Boigny", ado.ci (French).
  12. "African Leader Dies", Newsday, 8 December 1993.
  13. "Prime minister decides to quit", Associated Press (San Antonio Express-News), 10 December 1993.
  14. "Ivorian ex-premier to quit IMF for return to politics", BBC News Online, 30 March 1998.
  15. Biography at Ouattara's website (French).
  16. "Ivorian opposition elects former premier as presidential candidate", Associated Press, 1 August 1999.
  17. "Côte d'Ivoire: Police arrest scores outside politician's home", IRIN, 15 September 1999.
  18. "Ivory Coast opposition leader under investigation", BBC News Online, 22 September 1999.
  19. "Côte d'Ivoire: Former political foes strike pact to oust Gbagbo", IRIN, 18 May 2005.
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Cote d'Ivoire: Court annuls presidential candidate's nationality certificate", AFP, 27 October 1999.
  21. "Opposition leader blasts 'undemocratic' government", BBC News Online, 29 October 1999.
  22. "Côte d'Ivoire: Arrest warrant issued for opposition politician", IRIN, 9 December 1999.
  23. "Ivory Coast coup a 'popular revolution'", BBC News Online, 29 December 1999.
  24. "COTE D'IVOIRE: Former Prime Minister returns home", IRIN, 4 January 2000.
  25. "Jul 2000 – Referendum on new constitution", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 46, July 2000 Cote d'Ivoire, page 43661.
  26. Daddieh, Cyril K. (2001). "Elections and Ethnic Violence in Côte d'Ivoire: The Unfinished Business of Succession and Democratic Transition". African Issues. 29 (1–2): 14–19. doi:10.2307/1167104.
  27. "La présidentielle envisagée par Gbagbo pour fin 2007", L'Humanité, 8 August 2007 (French).
  28. 28.0 28.1 "Alassane Ouattara prêt à s'associer aux ex-rebelles", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), 3 February 2008.
  29. ""We Don't Believe Gbagbo Will Organise Transparent Elections" Michael Deibert interviews Alassane Ouattara". Inter Press Service. 23 October 2007.
  30. [1][dead link]
  31. "IMF to work only with Ivory Coast govt backed by UN". Reuters. 4 December 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  32. "UN council backs Ouattara in Ivory Coast election". Reuters. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  33. http://www.usafricaonline.com/2011/04/11/ivory-coasts-ex-president-gbagbo-arrested-in-abidjan-by-french-forces-leading-ouattara-troups/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. http://www.republicreport.com/who-captured-gbagbo-un-french-military-committed-crimes-against-humanity-they-attacked-arrested-gbagbo-not-the-other-way-around-reports-alleged/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. Thalia Griffiths (11 April, 2011). "The war is over – but Ouattara's struggle has barely begun". London: The Guardian. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. Lua error in ...ribunto/includes/engines/LuaCommon/lualib/mwInit.lua at line 17: bad argument #1 to 'old_pairs' (table expected, got nil).
  37. Ouattara dissolves Ivorian government over marriage law, United Kingdom: BBC News, 2012, retrieved 16 November 2012

External links

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(French) Alassane Ouattara.com Political Web site from Ouattara's circle of influence.

Political offices
Preceded by
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Prime Minister of the Ivory Coast
1990–1993
Succeeded by
Daniel Kablan Duncan
Preceded by
Laurent Gbagbo
President of the Ivory Coast
2010–present
Incumbent
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Goodluck Jonathan
Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States
2012–present
Incumbent

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