Jacques Amouzou
Encyclopedia
Kwame-Mensah Jacques Amouzou (born 25 July 1936) is a Togo
lese politician and businessman. An ethnic Ewe
, Amouzou was a minor candidate in both the 1993
and 1998 presidential elections
. He is the President of the Union of Independent Liberals (ULI). Amouzou was "widely perceived as a front" for President Gnassingbé Eyadéma
during the 1990s.
. At the time of the August 1993 presidential election, Amouzou ran as an independent candidate. He and Ife Adani were the only candidates to stand against President Eyadéma, who won 96% of the vote. Amouzou and Adani were not considered serious challengers; all of the major opposition leaders chose to boycott the election.
Led by Amouzou, the ULI was founded in November 1993 as a moderate opposition party, representing the political space between Eyadéma's Rally of the Togolese People
(RPT) and the radical opposition Collective of Democratic Opposition-2 (COD-2). In the February 1994 parliamentary election
, he ran as a candidate in Zio Prefecture, but did not win a seat.
Amouzou and the ULI were viewed as close to the RPT, and Amouzou was described as "virtually a second RPT candidate" at the time of the 1998 presidential election; his critics alleged that he was merely a tool of Eyadéma who was used to manipulate the political playing field in Eyadéma's favor. He placed last in the 1998 election with 0.35% of the vote.
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 and businessman. An ethnic Ewe
Ewe people
The Ewe are a people located in the southeast corner of Ghana, east of the Volta River, in an area now described as the Volta Region, in southern Togo and western Benin...
, Amouzou was a minor candidate in both the 1993
Togolese presidential election, 1993
Presidential elections were held in Togo on 25 August 1993. They were the first presidential elections in the country to feature more than one candidate. However, the major opposition parties boycotted the election, and only two minor candidates ran against incumbent President Gnassingbé Eyadéma,...
and 1998 presidential elections
Togolese presidential election, 1998
A presidential election was held in Togo on 21 June 1998. President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, in power since 1967, was re-elected with 52.1% of the total vote according to official results...
. He is the President of the Union of Independent Liberals (ULI). Amouzou was "widely perceived as a front" for 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...
during the 1990s.
Political career
Amouzou was born in Gbatope, located in Zio PrefectureZio, Togo
Zio is a prefecture located in the Maritime Region of Togo. The prefecture seat is located in Tsévié....
. At the time of the August 1993 presidential election, Amouzou ran as an independent candidate. He and Ife Adani were the only candidates to stand against President Eyadéma, who won 96% of the vote. Amouzou and Adani were not considered serious challengers; all of the major opposition leaders chose to boycott the election.
Led by Amouzou, the ULI was founded in November 1993 as a moderate opposition party, representing the political space between Eyadéma's 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 the radical opposition Collective of Democratic Opposition-2 (COD-2). In the February 1994 parliamentary election
Togolese parliamentary election, 1994
Parliamentary elections were held in Togo on 6 February 1994, with a second round on 18 March in 24 constituencies. The first multi-party elections since they 1960s, they saw the ruling Rally of the Togolese People finish second behind the Action Committee for Renewal , who together with their...
, he ran as a candidate in Zio Prefecture, but did not win a seat.
Amouzou and the ULI were viewed as close to the RPT, and Amouzou was described as "virtually a second RPT candidate" at the time of the 1998 presidential election; his critics alleged that he was merely a tool of Eyadéma who was used to manipulate the political playing field in Eyadéma's favor. He placed last in the 1998 election with 0.35% of the vote.