Guy Brice Parfait Kolélas
Encyclopedia
Guy Brice Parfait Kolélas (born 6 August 1959) is a Congolese
politician. The son of Bernard Kolélas
, he was Minister of Marine and Inland Fishing, in charge of Aquaculture, from 2007 to 2009, and he has been Minister of the Civil Service, in charge of State Reform, since 2009. He has also been the Coordinator of the Executive Bureau of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
(MCDDI) since 2008 and has been Interim President of the MCDDI since 2010.
in 1959; his parents were Bernard Kolélas and his wife Jacqueline. He studied economics, obtaining a degree from Brazzaville's Marien Ngouabi University
in 1983. Afterward, he continued his studies in France
. He received a degree in economics from the University of Besançon in 1985 and a degree in international transport from the Mulhouse
International Institute of Transport in 1987. Ultimately he obtained a doctorate degree in industrial economics, specializing in business strategy, from the University of Dijon in 1993.
, were ousted by rebel forces loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso
in October 1997. He and Lissouba fled into exile, but some fighting continued. On 7 December 1997, Kolélas sent his son to South Africa
to acquire weapons that Lissouba had previously ordered from Ebar Management & Trading, a company that sold arms to the government during the civil war. Brice Parfait Kolélas was his father's transportation adviser around that time and participated in negotiations.
In Congo-Brazzaville, Bernard Kolélas was convicted of war crimes in absentia and sentenced to death. After eight years in exile, he was allowed to return in October 2005 so that he could participate in the funeral of his wife, Jacqueline. The government then decided to allow him to remain in Congo-Brazzaville and participate in the nation's political life. The National Assembly
unanimously approved an amnesty for Bernard Kolélas in November 2005.
The MCDDI, led by Bernard Kolélas, signed an electoral alliance with Sassou Nguesso's Congolese Labor Party (PCT) in April 2007. In the June 2007 parliamentary election
, Brice Parfait Kolélas stood as the MCDDI candidate in Kinkala
constituency, located in the Pool Region
. The Pool Region was traditionally dominated by the MCDDI, and Kolélas easily won the Kinkala seat in the first round, receiving 77.46% of the vote. After the election, he was appointed to the government as Minister of Marine and Inland Fishing, in charge of Aquaculture, on 30 December 2007.
At the MCDDI's First Convention, held in Brazzaville on 24–25 May 2008, Brice Parfait Kolélas was designated as the Coordinator of the MCDDI National Executive Bureau and National Secretary in charge of Development Strategies. In that capacity, he was considered the second ranking member of the party, after his father. However, his father was by that point an elderly man in apparently declining health (although present, he failed to even give the closing speech at the convention), and thus Brice Parfait Kolélas was effectively being designated as the MCDDI's de facto leader. It also seemed evident that he was being positioned to succeed his father, and that arrangement was contrasted with the situation in the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR–Mwinda), another political party. André Milongo
, the President of the UDR–Mwinda, had died in 2007 without taking the necessary steps to secure his son's succession to the party leadership; the son, Stéphane Milongo, proved unable to obtain the party leadership on his own. It was suspected that the example of the Milongos might have influenced Bernard Kolélas to promote his son to the top of the party.
Brice Parfait Kolélas also became the Coordinator of the Conference of African Humanist Democrats (Conférence des démocrates humanistes africains, CODEHA), a non-governmental organization
, when it was launched at the initiative of the MCDDI and various other African political parties on 19 April 2009. CODEHA sent electoral observer missions to monitor the July 2009 presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville
as well as the August 2009 presidential election in Gabon
.
in June 2009. On that occasion, he read a message on behalf of his father, in which the latter endorsed Sassou Nguesso. After winning re-election, Sassou Nguesso promoted Kolélas to the post of Minister of the Civil Service, in charge of State Reform, on 15 September 2009.
Bernard Kolélas died at the age of 76 on 13 November 2009. Brice Parfait Kolélas was considered an obvious candidate to succeed him in the party leadership, although reports suggested that feelings within the party were not unanimous on the matter, with some members supporting an older figure, Bernard Tchibambelela
. The MCDDI Executive Bureau met on 23 January 2010 and decided that Kolélas would serve as Interim President of the MCDDI, in addition to his role as Coordinator of the Executive Bureau, until a party congress could be held. In its previous 20 years of existence under Bernard Kolélas, the MCDDI had never held a congress.
As of 2008, Kolélas is married and has three children.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
politician. The son of Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Bakana Kolélas was a Congolese politician and President of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development...
, he was Minister of Marine and Inland Fishing, in charge of Aquaculture, from 2007 to 2009, and he has been Minister of the Civil Service, in charge of State Reform, since 2009. He has also been the Coordinator of the Executive Bureau of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
The Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development is a political party in the Republic of the Congo, led by Bernard Kolélas....
(MCDDI) since 2008 and has been Interim President of the MCDDI since 2010.
Early life and education
Kolélas was born in BrazzavilleBrazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
in 1959; his parents were Bernard Kolélas and his wife Jacqueline. He studied economics, obtaining a degree from Brazzaville's Marien Ngouabi University
Marien Ngouabi University
Marien Ngouabi University is the only state-funded university in the Republic of Congo. It is located in the capital of Brazzaville.-History:...
in 1983. Afterward, he continued his studies 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...
. He received a degree in economics from the University of Besançon in 1985 and a degree in international transport from the Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
International Institute of Transport in 1987. Ultimately he obtained a doctorate degree in industrial economics, specializing in business strategy, from the University of Dijon in 1993.
Political background and government appointment
Kolélas' father, Bernard Kolélas, was one of Congo-Brazzaville's main political leaders during the 1990s. During the 1997 civil war, Bernard Kolélas served briefly as Prime Minister before he and his old rival, President Pascal LissoubaPascal Lissouba
Pascal Lissouba was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of the Congo from August 31, 1992 to October 15, 1997. He was overthrown by the current President Denis Sassou Nguesso in the 1997 civil war....
, were ousted by rebel forces loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso is a Congolese politician who has been the President of Congo-Brazzaville since 1997; he was previously President from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as President, he headed the single-party regime of the Congolese Labour Party for 12 years...
in October 1997. He and Lissouba fled into exile, but some fighting continued. On 7 December 1997, Kolélas sent his son to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to acquire weapons that Lissouba had previously ordered from Ebar Management & Trading, a company that sold arms to the government during the civil war. Brice Parfait Kolélas was his father's transportation adviser around that time and participated in negotiations.
In Congo-Brazzaville, Bernard Kolélas was convicted of war crimes in absentia and sentenced to death. After eight years in exile, he was allowed to return in October 2005 so that he could participate in the funeral of his wife, Jacqueline. The government then decided to allow him to remain in Congo-Brazzaville and participate in the nation's political life. The National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo
The Parliament of the Republic of Congo has two chambers. The lower house is the National Assembly . It has 153 members, for a five year term in single-seat constituencies.-See also:...
unanimously approved an amnesty for Bernard Kolélas in November 2005.
The MCDDI, led by Bernard Kolélas, signed an electoral alliance with Sassou Nguesso's Congolese Labor Party (PCT) in April 2007. In the June 2007 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 24 June 2007, with a second round initially planned for 22 July 2007, but then postponed to 5 August 2007. According to the National Commission of the Organization of the Elections , 1,807 candidates stood in the first round for 137...
, Brice Parfait Kolélas stood as the MCDDI candidate in Kinkala
Kinkala
Kinkala is a town located in southeastern Republic of the Congo. It is the capital city of Kinkala District and the Pool Region....
constituency, located in the Pool Region
Pool Region
Pool is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the southeastern part of the country. It borders the departments of Bouenza, Lékoumou, and Plateaux, and internationally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also surrounds the commune district of the national capital, Brazzaville. The...
. The Pool Region was traditionally dominated by the MCDDI, and Kolélas easily won the Kinkala seat in the first round, receiving 77.46% of the vote. After the election, he was appointed to the government as Minister of Marine and Inland Fishing, in charge of Aquaculture, on 30 December 2007.
At the MCDDI's First Convention, held in Brazzaville on 24–25 May 2008, Brice Parfait Kolélas was designated as the Coordinator of the MCDDI National Executive Bureau and National Secretary in charge of Development Strategies. In that capacity, he was considered the second ranking member of the party, after his father. However, his father was by that point an elderly man in apparently declining health (although present, he failed to even give the closing speech at the convention), and thus Brice Parfait Kolélas was effectively being designated as the MCDDI's de facto leader. It also seemed evident that he was being positioned to succeed his father, and that arrangement was contrasted with the situation in the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR–Mwinda), another political party. André Milongo
André Milongo
André Ntsatouabantou Milongo was a Congolese politician who served as Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo from June 1991 to August 1992. He was chosen by the 1991 National Conference to lead the country during its transition to multiparty elections, which were held in 1992...
, the President of the UDR–Mwinda, had died in 2007 without taking the necessary steps to secure his son's succession to the party leadership; the son, Stéphane Milongo, proved unable to obtain the party leadership on his own. It was suspected that the example of the Milongos might have influenced Bernard Kolélas to promote his son to the top of the party.
Brice Parfait Kolélas also became the Coordinator of the Conference of African Humanist Democrats (Conférence des démocrates humanistes africains, CODEHA), a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
, when it was launched at the initiative of the MCDDI and various other African political parties on 19 April 2009. CODEHA sent electoral observer missions to monitor the July 2009 presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville
Republic of the Congo presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 12 July 2009. Long-time President Denis Sassou Nguesso won another seven-year term with a large majority of the vote, but the election was marked by accusations of irregularities and fraud from the opposition; six opposition...
as well as the August 2009 presidential election in Gabon
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...
.
2009 presidential campaign and MCDDI leadership
At the time of the July 2009 presidential election, Brice Parfait Kolélas was the Deputy National Director of President Sassou Nguesso's re-election campaign. Along with other major figures who had formerly opposed Sassou Nguesso, Kolélas was present for the launch of the campaign at a large rally held in BrazzavilleBrazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
in June 2009. On that occasion, he read a message on behalf of his father, in which the latter endorsed Sassou Nguesso. After winning re-election, Sassou Nguesso promoted Kolélas to the post of Minister of the Civil Service, in charge of State Reform, on 15 September 2009.
Bernard Kolélas died at the age of 76 on 13 November 2009. Brice Parfait Kolélas was considered an obvious candidate to succeed him in the party leadership, although reports suggested that feelings within the party were not unanimous on the matter, with some members supporting an older figure, Bernard Tchibambelela
Bernard Tchibambelela
Bernard Tchibambelela is a Congolese politician. He is a member of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development and has been the Second Vice-President of the National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo since 2007....
. The MCDDI Executive Bureau met on 23 January 2010 and decided that Kolélas would serve as Interim President of the MCDDI, in addition to his role as Coordinator of the Executive Bureau, until a party congress could be held. In its previous 20 years of existence under Bernard Kolélas, the MCDDI had never held a congress.
Personal life and family
Kolélas' mother, Jacqueline, died on 29 September 2005. In October 2005, he released a statement on behalf of the family, calling on everyone to respect the family's grief and insisting "that Maman is buried in a climate of peace, tranquility, understanding and brotherly love."As of 2008, Kolélas is married and has three children.