African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence
Encyclopedia
The African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence (Solidarité Africaine pour la Démocratie et l'Indépendance) 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. The party is Pan-Africanist in ideology, is affiliated internationally with the ICS, a Communist grouping organised by the Workers Party of Belgium
, and is in part an outgrowth of the 1991 demonstrations against the military rule of President Moussa Traoré
. Mariko was head of the Association of Students and Pupils of Mali (AEEM) during the 1991 protest movement which overthrew the government. The party's 2007 platform focused upon its opposition to the privatisation of state industries. The party had four Deputies elected to the National Assembly of Mali
in 2007, and it is highly critical of the ruling coalition of Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré
.
. In this election, Mariko took 12th place with 0.88% of the vote. In the July 2002 parliamentary election, the party won six out of 147 seats. After this, Sissoko joined the government as Minister of Culture, although Mariko opposed this move.
in December 2006, at which it was decided to nominate a candidate for the April 2007 presidential election
at a national conference on February 23–24 2007. Mariko was again chosen as the party's presidential candidate at this conference. In the April election, he took fourth place with 2.72% of the vote.
SADI won four out of 147 seats in the July 2007 parliamentary election
.
on September 8–9 2007. A major issue at stake is whether the party will continue to participate in the government, with Mariko's supporters opposed to it, believing it to be incompatible with the party's views, and others feeling that the party can be more effective as part of the government.
When parliamentary groups in the new National Assembly were created in September 2007, SADI formed a parliamentary group with the Party for National Rebirth
(PARENA).
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Mali
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...
. It was founded by Cheick Oumar Sissoko
Cheick 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...
and Oumar Mariko
Oumar Mariko
Oumar Mariko is a Malian doctor, politician and noted former student activist. He is the secretary general of African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence and has twice run for President of Mali, in 2002 and 2007....
in 1996; Sissoko is the party's President and Mariko is its Secretary-General, the top post in the party. The party is Pan-Africanist in ideology, is affiliated internationally with the ICS, a Communist grouping organised by the Workers Party of Belgium
Workers Party of Belgium
The Workers' Party of Belgium is a Marxist political party in Belgium. It is one of the few parties that operates as a single Belgian party...
, and is in part an outgrowth of the 1991 demonstrations against the military rule of President 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...
. Mariko was head of the Association of Students and Pupils of Mali (AEEM) during the 1991 protest movement which overthrew the government. The party's 2007 platform focused upon its opposition to the privatisation of state industries. The party had four Deputies elected to 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 2007, and it is highly critical of the ruling coalition of Malian 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...
.
2002 elections
The party held its first ordinary congress in March 2002, at which Mariko was chosen as its candidate for the April 2002 presidential electionMalian 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...
. In this election, Mariko took 12th place with 0.88% of the vote. In the July 2002 parliamentary election, the party won six out of 147 seats. After this, Sissoko joined the government as Minister of Culture, although Mariko opposed this move.
2007 elections
The party's second ordinary congress was held in KoutialaKoutiala
Koutiala is a city in Mali in the administrative region of Sikasso. Koutiala serves as the capital of its administrative Cercle, home to 355,289 people. As of 2005, Koutiala has an estimated 96,600 residents and an area of 18 000 km²...
in December 2006, at which it was decided to nominate a 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:...
at a national conference on February 23–24 2007. Mariko was again chosen as the party's presidential candidate at this conference. In the April election, he took fourth place with 2.72% of the vote.
SADI won four out of 147 seats 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....
.
Death of activist
A local secretary-general of SADI, Youssouf Dembélé, was found dead on August 12, 2007, in what the party described as an assassination.2007 coalitions
SADI's second national conference will take place in BamakoBamako
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...
on September 8–9 2007. A major issue at stake is whether the party will continue to participate in the government, with Mariko's supporters opposed to it, believing it to be incompatible with the party's views, and others feeling that the party can be more effective as part of the government.
When parliamentary groups in the new National Assembly were created in September 2007, SADI formed a parliamentary group with the Party for National Rebirth
Party for National Rebirth
The Party for National Rebirth is a Malian political party, created in 1995 by activists from the National Congress for Democratic Initiative . The Party for National Rebirth is headed by Tiébilé Dramé, who ran for the presidency in 2002, gaining 4 % of the votes, coming in fourth place...
(PARENA).