Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba
Encyclopedia
Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba (born 17 April 1945) is a Togo
lese politician. He was the President of the National Assembly of Togo
from 2000 to 2005. He is a prominent member of the ruling Rally of the Togolese People
(RPT) and is a member of the Pan-African Parliament
representing Togo.
. He was Director of the Cabinet of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
from 1977 to 1981 and was a member of the National Committee in charge of drafting the text of the 1980 Constitution. He was an RPT Delegate to the Togolese National Conference in 1991 and was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 14 September 1992 to 20 March 1994.
He was first elected to the National Assembly in February 1994, representing Oti Prefecture
in Savanes Region
. He was re-elected in the March 1999 parliamentary election
as the RPT candidate in the Third Constituency of Oti Prefecture; he faced no opposition and won the seat with 100% of the vote. He was President of the RPT Parliamentary Group and First Vice-President of the National Assembly before being elected as President of the National Assembly on 3 September 2000. Following the October 2002 parliamentary election
, he was re-elected as President of the National Assembly, with 73 votes in favor, three opposed, one null vote, and one abstention. When the Pan-African Parliament began meeting in March 2004, Natchaba became one of Togo's five members.
. These moves were in direct contrast to the country's constitution, which stated that the President of National Assembly would serve as acting President of Togo for 60 days until a new election was held. Natchaba, who was in Benin
at the time of Eyadéma's death, was unable to return to Togo. The military's actions were condemned by the international community as a coup d'etat
.
On 6 February 2005, the National Assembly voted to remove Natchaba as its President and Fauré Gnassingbé was unanimously elected to head the National Assembly as a means of legitimizing his succession. Following increased pressure both inside and outside of Togo, Gnassingbé resigned on 25 February and Bonfoh Abbass
was designated as President of the National Assembly, thereby becoming acting President of Togo. Natchaba said that it was "unconstitutional" to bypass him and install Gnassingbé as President, and he said that he was the legitimate President.
Accompanied by President Mathieu Kérékou
of Benin, Fambaré Natchaba returned to Togo on 5 March 2005. They met with senior army, government, and RPT officials. Before departing, Kérékou reportedly told leading RPT officials: "I've brought Natchaba to you. He is your brother and has no other option but to reunite with his political family and work within the ranks of the RPT, to perpetuate Eyadéma's legacy."
Later in 2005, President Gnassingbé designated Natchaba as his special envoy to the European Parliament
and the European Commission
.
At the 2006 Inter-Togolese Dialogue, Natchaba signed the Global Political Accord on the electoral process on behalf of the RPT on 20 August 2006. He is a member of the RPT Political Bureau and a member of the RPT Central Committee from Oti Prefecture as of the RPT's Ninth Ordinary Congress in December 2006. He sought to stand as an RPT candidate in Oti Prefecture in the October 2007 parliamentary election
, but he was defeated in the party's primary election on April 7, 2007.
Following the arrest of Gnassingbé's brother Kpatcha Gnassingbé
in April 2009, Natchaba characterized it as "just an incident" lacking any broader importance. He stressed that "there is no other solution than to continue on the road of democracy. The Eyadema era is well and truly over".
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
lese politician. He was the President of the National Assembly of Togo
National Assembly of Togo
The unicameral National Assembly of Togo is the country's legislative body. It has a total of 81 members who are elected in a party list proportional representation system...
from 2000 to 2005. He is a prominent member of the ruling Rally of the Togolese People
Rally of the Togolese People
The Rally of the Togolese People is the ruling political party in Togo. The President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, is also the National President of the RPT....
(RPT) and is a member of the Pan-African Parliament
Pan-African Parliament
The Pan-African Parliament , also known as the African Parliament, is the legislative body of the African Union and held its inaugural session in March 2004. The PAP exercises oversight, and has advisory and consultative powers, lasting for the first five years...
representing Togo.
Political career
Natchaba was born in Gando, TogoGando
Jiandao, also known in Korean as Gando, refers to a small piece of marsh land between the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture and Helong in Jilin, Northeast China. The original Chinese name of Jiandao is Jiajiang....
. He was Director of the Cabinet of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
Gnassingbé Eyadéma
General Gnassingbé Eyadéma , was the President of Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005. He participated in two successful military coups, in January 1963 and January 1967, and became President on April 14, 1967...
from 1977 to 1981 and was a member of the National Committee in charge of drafting the text of the 1980 Constitution. He was an RPT Delegate to the Togolese National Conference in 1991 and was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 14 September 1992 to 20 March 1994.
He was first elected to the National Assembly in February 1994, representing Oti Prefecture
Oti, Togo
Oti is a prefecture located in the Savanes Region of Togo. The prefecture seat is located in Sansanné-Mango....
in Savanes Region
Savanes Region, Togo
Savanes is the northernmost of the five Regions of Togo. Dapaong is the regional capital. Another major town in the region is Mango.Savanes is divided into the prefectures of Kpendjal, Oti, Tandjouaré, and Tône....
. He was re-elected in the March 1999 parliamentary election
Togolese parliamentary election, 1999
Parliamentary elections were held in Togo on 21 March 1999. They were boycotted by the eight opposition parties, who been rebuffed in their insistence that talks following the controversial presidential election the previous year must be completed prior to the parliamentary election...
as the RPT candidate in the Third Constituency of Oti Prefecture; he faced no opposition and won the seat with 100% of the vote. He was President of the RPT Parliamentary Group and First Vice-President of the National Assembly before being elected as President of the National Assembly on 3 September 2000. Following the October 2002 parliamentary election
Togolese parliamentary election, 2002
Parliamentary elections were held in Togo on 27 October 2002. Like the previous elections in 1999, they were boycotted by nine opposition parties , following the replacement of the Independent National Electoral Commission by a seven-magistrate committee and a revision of the Electoral Code...
, he was re-elected as President of the National Assembly, with 73 votes in favor, three opposed, one null vote, and one abstention. When the Pan-African Parliament began meeting in March 2004, Natchaba became one of Togo's five members.
2005 political crisis and subsequent events
President Eyadéma died on 5 February 2005. Soon after his death, the armed forces sealed Togo's borders with neighboring countries and invested presidential powers in his son FauréFaure Gnassingbé
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé has been the President of Togo since May 4, 2005. A son of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, he was appointed to the government by his father, serving as Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications from 2003 to 2005...
. These moves were in direct contrast to the country's constitution, which stated that the President of National Assembly would serve as acting President of Togo for 60 days until a new election was held. Natchaba, who was in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
at the time of Eyadéma's death, was unable to return to Togo. The military's actions were condemned by the international community as a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
.
On 6 February 2005, the National Assembly voted to remove Natchaba as its President and Fauré Gnassingbé was unanimously elected to head the National Assembly as a means of legitimizing his succession. Following increased pressure both inside and outside of Togo, Gnassingbé resigned on 25 February and Bonfoh Abbass
Bonfoh Abbass
El-Hadj Bonfoh Abass is a Togolese politician who was the interim President of Togo from February 25, 2005 to May 4, 2005. He has been the President of the National Assembly of Togo since 2005.-Political career:...
was designated as President of the National Assembly, thereby becoming acting President of Togo. Natchaba said that it was "unconstitutional" to bypass him and install Gnassingbé as President, and he said that he was the legitimate President.
Accompanied by President Mathieu Kérékou
Mathieu Kérékou
Mathieu Kérékou, was President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006. After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 17 years, for most of that time under an officially Marxist-Leninist ideology, before he was stripped of his powers by the National Conference of...
of Benin, Fambaré Natchaba returned to Togo on 5 March 2005. They met with senior army, government, and RPT officials. Before departing, Kérékou reportedly told leading RPT officials: "I've brought Natchaba to you. He is your brother and has no other option but to reunite with his political family and work within the ranks of the RPT, to perpetuate Eyadéma's legacy."
Later in 2005, President Gnassingbé designated Natchaba as his special envoy to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
At the 2006 Inter-Togolese Dialogue, Natchaba signed the Global Political Accord on the electoral process on behalf of the RPT on 20 August 2006. He is a member of the RPT Political Bureau and a member of the RPT Central Committee from Oti Prefecture as of the RPT's Ninth Ordinary Congress in December 2006. He sought to stand as an RPT candidate in Oti Prefecture in the October 2007 parliamentary election
Togolese parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in Togo on October 14, 2007 for the 81 seats in the National Assembly. There were over 2,000 candidates, with 32 parties and 41 lists of independent candidates competing. The ruling Rally of the Togolese People was victorious, winning a majority of 50 seats...
, but he was defeated in the party's primary election on April 7, 2007.
Following the arrest of Gnassingbé's brother Kpatcha Gnassingbé
Kpatcha Gnassingbé
Kpatcha Gnassingbé is a Togolese politician. He is a son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who was President of Togo from 1967 to 2005, and a brother of Faure Gnassingbé, who has been President since 2005. From 2005 to 2007, Kpatcha Gnassingbé was Minister of Defense, and since 2008 he has been a Deputy in...
in April 2009, Natchaba characterized it as "just an incident" lacking any broader importance. He stressed that "there is no other solution than to continue on the road of democracy. The Eyadema era is well and truly over".