Jump to content

Rally for Democracy and Development

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Everyking (talk | contribs) at 01:09, 22 July 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Rally for Democracy and Development (Rassemblement pour la Démocratie et le Développement; RDD) is a political party in the Republic of the Congo. It has been one of the main participants in a coalition known as the African Socialist Movement-Congolese Progressive Party (MSA-PPC).[1]

History

The RDD was founded in 1990 under the leadership of former Head of State Joachim Yhombi-Opango.[2] In the June-July 1992 parliamentary election, the RDD won five seats in the National Assembly.[2][3] Yhombi-Opango was the RDD's candidate in the August 1992 presidential election, placing sixth with 3.49% of the vote.[4]

In the June 1993 parliamentary election, the party won six seats in the National Assembly, and it was part of the governing coalition of President Pascal Lissouba,[2][5] with Yhombi-Opango serving as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1996.[2] The RDD was loyal to Lissouba during the 1997 civil war, and when rebels loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso captured Brazzaville in October 1997, Yhombi-Opango fled into exile. Saturnin Okabé served as Interim President of the RDD during Yhombi-Opango's 10 years in exile.

A dispute in the RDD leadership emerged in 2005. Yhombi-Opango asked the party leadership to approach Sassou Nguesso's Congolese Labour Party (PCT), but Okabé refused to do so; Yhombi-Opango reacted angrily to this refusal.[6]

The party did not participate in the June–August 2007 parliamentary election. The party initially intended to participate, but later, in a statement on June 8, said that it would not because it did not believe the election would be free and fair.[7]

An amnesty for Yhombi-Opango was approved in May 2007, and he returned from exile on August 10, 2008.[8] At a meeting of the RDD Steering Committee on September 8, 2007, he reassumed the leadership of the party from Okabé and Secretary-General Martial Mathieu Kani. On this occasion, Yhombi-Opango announced his intention to reorganize the party and improve its position on the national political scene.[9]

Along with the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) and the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR-Mwinda), the RDD formed the Alliance for the New Republic opposition coalition on May 11, 2007.[10] Complaining that the 2007 parliamentary election and the 2008 local elections were "masquerades", this coalition withdrew from participation in national and local electoral commissions in August 2008. It wanted a new and independent electoral commission, in addition to an "all-inclusive national dialogue" prior to the 2009 presidential election.[11]

On February 23, 2009, the formation of an alliance between the PCT and the RDD was announced. The parties agreed to present a single candidate in the 2009 presidential election, and the RDD agreed to join the government if their joint candidate (presumed to be Denis Sassou Nguesso) won the election.[12]

34 RDD candidates stood in the July–August 2012 parliamentary election,[13] but the party did not win any seats in the National Assembly.[14]

References

  1. ^ [1].
  2. ^ a b c d Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 140.
  3. ^ IPU-PARLINE page on the 1992 parliamentary election.
  4. ^ Xavier Bienvenu Kitsimbou, "LA DEMOCRATIE ET LES REALITES ETHNIQUES AU CONGO", University of Nancy II, October 26, 2001, pages 104–105 Template:Fr icon.
  5. ^ Congo, Republic of the (ROC): Political parties.
  6. ^ "Discorde à la tête du Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le développement", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, June 6, 2005 Template:Fr icon.
  7. ^ "Congo: ouverture de la campagne du premier tour des élections législatives", AFP, June 8, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
  8. ^ "L'ex-président Yhombi-Opango de retour au Congo après dix ans d'exil", AFP, August 10, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
  9. ^ Thierry Noungou, "Jacques Joachim Yhombi Opango annonce le retour sur la scène politique du Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le développement", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, September 10, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
  10. ^ "Trois partis politiques de l'opposition créent l'Alliance pour une nouvelle République", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, May 11, 2007 Template:Fr icon.
  11. ^ "Three Congolese opposition parties withdraw from electoral commission", African Press Agency, August 14, 2008.
  12. ^ "Congolese parties forge alliance", AFP, February 23, 2009.
  13. ^ Pascal-Azad Doko, "Echo des parties", La Semaine Africaine, 29 June 2012 Template:Fr icon.
  14. ^ Cyr Armel Yabbat-Ngo, "Elections législatives de 2012 : La treizième législature largement dominée par le P.c.t!", La Semaine Africaine, 11 August 2012 Template:Fr icon.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rally_for_Democracy_and_Development&oldid=617923469"