Nicéphore Soglo
Encyclopedia
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born 29 November 1934) is a Benin
ois politician
who was Prime Minister of Benin
from 1990 to 1991 and President
from 1991 to 1996. He has been the Mayor of Cotonou
since 2003.
and economics
from the University of Paris
, Soglo returned to Benin (then called Dahomey
) and was the inspector of finance (1965–1967) before his cousin, Colonel Christophe Soglo
, overthrew President Sourou-Migan Apithy
and appointed his relative minister of finance and economic affairs. Following the 1972 coup that brought Mathieu Kérékou
to power, he left the country and held positions at international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank
.
In the late 1980s, faced with growing dissatisfaction over a stagnant economy, the Kérékou government agreed to convene a national conference that would lead the country towards multiparty democracy
. The conference designated Nicéphore Soglo interim Prime Minister, and he took office on 12 March 1990. The conference produced a constitution that was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum held on 2 December 1990.
In the country's first multiparty presidential election, Soglo took first place in the first round, held on 10 March 1991, with 36.31% of the vote. A run-off against Kérékou followed on 24 March in which Soglo won a strong majority, receiving 67.73% of the vote. He took office on 4 April 1991.
In the following year, the Renaissance Party of Benin (known by the acronym PRB or RB) was founded by Rosine Soglo; her husband became leader of the party in 1994.
In 1993, President Soglo headed the Benin delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development
.
During his presidency, Soglo took efforts to refurbish Benin's devastated economy. These economic measures caused civil unrest and undermined his popularity. Despite these problems, his government was praised for its adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights
.
In the March 1996 presidential election
, Soglo again took first place in the first round, but in the second round he was defeated by Mathieu Kérékou, receiving 47.51% of the vote. Soglo alleged election fraud, but this was rejected by the Constitutional Court.
In a bid to regain the presidency in the March 2001 election
, he placed second behind Mathieu Kérékou, winning 27.12% of the vote. Although Soglo qualified to participate in a run-off against Kérékou, he withdrew alleging irregularities, which resulted in a Kérékou victory. Soglo could not run again in the March 2006 presidential election
due to the age limit of 70 years; his son Lehady Soglo
ran as the candidate of the Renaissance Party instead, placing fourth with 8.44% of the vote. Another son, Ganiou
, also ran in the election, but he fared poorly, receiving only about 0.17% of the vote.
Nicéphore Soglo and the RB were victorious in the December 2002–January 2003 municipal election in Cotonou
, Benin's largest city. In the 12th arrondissement, Soglo defeated pro-government Movement candidate Sévérin Adjovi. Soglo was elected as Mayor by the city's council on February 13, 2003, receiving the support of 41 of the 45 councillors, and he was sworn in on the same day. He said that he would focus on reducing pollution and improving waste management and drainage.
While hospitalized at the American Hospital of Paris
, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine
, Soglo was falsely reported to have died in February 2005. Along with former United States
President Jimmy Carter
, Soglo headed the multinational delegation of the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center
for the October 2005 Liberian election.
Soglo ran for re-election as a municipal councillor in the April 2008 local election in Cotonou; he was also the RB candidate for Mayor, vowing to continue to modernize the city and create a system of public transportation. He faced Jérôme Dandjinou of the governing Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin. Following the local election, the municipal councillors re-elected Soglo as Mayor on June 3, 2008. There were 48 votes in favor of Soglo and one abstention.
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...
ois politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who was Prime Minister of Benin
Heads of government of Benin
-Prime Ministers of Benin :-Affiliations:-Sources:*http://www.rulers.org/rulb1.html#benin*http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Benin.html*http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
from 1990 to 1991 and President
Heads of state of Benin
-Presidents of Benin :-Affiliations:-Latest election:-Sources:*http://www.rulers.org/rulb1.html#benin*http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Benin.html*http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
from 1991 to 1996. He has been the Mayor of Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
since 2003.
Biography
Soglo was born in Togo. After receiving degrees in lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Soglo returned to Benin (then called Dahomey
Dahomey
Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...
) and was the inspector of finance (1965–1967) before his cousin, Colonel Christophe Soglo
Christophe Soglo
Christophe Soglo was a Beninese military officer and political leader and one of the most important figures in Benin's period of political instability and frequent, though usually bloodless, coups during the 1960s.-Biography:...
, overthrew President Sourou-Migan Apithy
Sourou-Migan Apithy
Sourou-Migan Marcellin Joseph Apithy was a Beninese political figure most active when his country was known as Dahomey. He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region in Dahomey they lived....
and appointed his relative minister of finance and economic affairs. Following the 1972 coup that brought 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...
to power, he left the country and held positions at international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.
In the late 1980s, faced with growing dissatisfaction over a stagnant economy, the Kérékou government agreed to convene a national conference that would lead the country towards multiparty democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. The conference designated Nicéphore Soglo interim Prime Minister, and he took office on 12 March 1990. The conference produced a constitution that was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum held on 2 December 1990.
In the country's first multiparty presidential election, Soglo took first place in the first round, held on 10 March 1991, with 36.31% of the vote. A run-off against Kérékou followed on 24 March in which Soglo won a strong majority, receiving 67.73% of the vote. He took office on 4 April 1991.
In the following year, the Renaissance Party of Benin (known by the acronym PRB or RB) was founded by Rosine Soglo; her husband became leader of the party in 1994.
In 1993, President Soglo headed the Benin delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development
Tokyo International Conference on African Development
is a conference held every five years in Tokyo, Japan, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa...
.
During his presidency, Soglo took efforts to refurbish Benin's devastated economy. These economic measures caused civil unrest and undermined his popularity. Despite these problems, his government was praised for its adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
In the March 1996 presidential election
Beninese presidential election, 1996
Presidential elections were held in Benin in March 1996. The first round, held on 3 March, saw no candidate gain over 50% of the vote, resulting in a second round held on 18 March...
, Soglo again took first place in the first round, but in the second round he was defeated by Mathieu Kérékou, receiving 47.51% of the vote. Soglo alleged election fraud, but this was rejected by the Constitutional Court.
In a bid to regain the presidency in the March 2001 election
Benin presidential election, 2001
The presidential election held in Benin in March 2001 controversially resulted in the re-election of Mathieu Kérékou to a second term. Kérékou's rival Nicéphore Soglo, who had been president from 1991 to 1996, failed in his bid to reclaim the presidency; although he qualified to participate in the...
, he placed second behind Mathieu Kérékou, winning 27.12% of the vote. Although Soglo qualified to participate in a run-off against Kérékou, he withdrew alleging irregularities, which resulted in a Kérékou victory. Soglo could not run again in the March 2006 presidential election
Beninese presidential election, 2006
A presidential election was held in the West African state of Benin on March 5, 2006. Long-time president Mathieu Kérékou was barred from running again by a two term limit and an age limit of 70 years for candidates; in July 2005 he signalled that he would not seek to change the constitution, as...
due to the age limit of 70 years; his son Lehady Soglo
Léhady Soglo
Léhady Vinagnon Soglo is a Beninese politician.Born in Paris, Soglo is the son of Nicéphore Soglo, who was President of Benin from 1991 to 1996. He was the candidate of the Benin Rebirth Party in the March 2006 presidential election, in which his father was barred from running due to a maximum...
ran as the candidate of the Renaissance Party instead, placing fourth with 8.44% of the vote. Another son, Ganiou
Ganiou Soglo
Ganiou Soglo is a Beninese politician of the Benin Rebirth Party , currently serving in the government as Minister of Culture, Literacy, and the Promotion of National Languages. He is the son of former President Nicéphore Soglo and brother of Léhady Soglo.Soglo is the youngest son of Nicéphore...
, also ran in the election, but he fared poorly, receiving only about 0.17% of the vote.
Nicéphore Soglo and the RB were victorious in the December 2002–January 2003 municipal election in Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
, Benin's largest city. In the 12th arrondissement, Soglo defeated pro-government Movement candidate Sévérin Adjovi. Soglo was elected as Mayor by the city's council on February 13, 2003, receiving the support of 41 of the 45 councillors, and he was sworn in on the same day. He said that he would focus on reducing pollution and improving waste management and drainage.
While hospitalized at the American Hospital of Paris
American Hospital of Paris
The American Hospital of Paris, founded in 1906, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine, is a private, not-for-profit institution that is considered agréé/non-conventionné under the French system of healthcare. It has 187 surgical, medical, and obstetric beds....
, located in Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
, Soglo was falsely reported to have died in February 2005. Along with former United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, Soglo headed the multinational delegation of the National Democratic Institute and the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
for the October 2005 Liberian election.
Soglo ran for re-election as a municipal councillor in the April 2008 local election in Cotonou; he was also the RB candidate for Mayor, vowing to continue to modernize the city and create a system of public transportation. He faced Jérôme Dandjinou of the governing Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin. Following the local election, the municipal councillors re-elected Soglo as Mayor on June 3, 2008. There were 48 votes in favor of Soglo and one abstention.