Pierre-Ernest Abandzounou
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Ernest Abandzounou is a Congolese
politician. He served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Secretary of State for Scientific Research from August 2002 to January 2005 and then as Minister of Scientific Research from January 2005 to December 2007. He was also the President of the Action Committee for Progress (CAP) from 2005 to 2011.
in Brazzaville
, lecturing on history and civilizations. He also served for a time as Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Scientific Research and the Environment. In that capacity, he was involved in organizing the first Congress of African Scientists, which was held in Brazzaville on 25–30 June 1987.
Following the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, Abandzounou joined the Union of Democratic Forces
(UFD), a political party led by David-Charles Ganao. In the 1992 parliamentary election
and the 1993 parliamentary election
, Ganao was elected to the National Assembly
as the UFD candidate in the Djambala
constituency, located in Plateaux Region, and Abandzounou ran alongside him as his alternate for that seat. The UFD supported President Pascal Lissouba
during that period, and Abandzounou was appointed to the government as Minister-Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament on 23 January 1995.
Abandzounou was Secretary-General of the UFD as of 2001. In anticipation of the 2002 parliamentary election
, the UFD signed an electoral alliance with President Denis Sassou Nguesso
's Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in late 2001. In a statement on that occasion, Abandzounou said that the alliance was for "democracy and free expression, the establishment of the rule of law
, and the irreversibility of political change through the ballot box", and he praised the commitment of Ganao and Sassou Nguesso to peace and reconciliation.
In the May 2002 parliamentary election, Abandzounou was the UFD candidate in Djambala. He won the seat in the first round with 57.43% of the vote. Following the election, Sassou Nguesso appointed him to the government on 18 August 2002 as Secretary of State for Scientific Research. In that post, he worked under the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Henri Ossébi
. In a statement to mark International Science Day on 10 November 2002, Abandzounou stressed the importance of science in contributing to sustainable development
.
Abandzounou was promoted to the post of Minister of Scientific Research and Technical Innovation on 7 January 2005. In an August 2005 interview, he emphasized that research was "an engine of socio-economic development for our country". He opened the Third African Summit on Science and New Technologies, which was held in Brazzaville, on 24 October 2005.
On 12 November 2005, Abandzounou founded a political association, the Action Committee for Progress (Comité d'action pour le progrès, CAP). As a result, he and two others who had also participated in the creation of the CAP were expelled from the UFD on 26 November 2005. Although Abandzounou had been considered "one of David-Charles Ganao's closest collaborators" and potentially Ganao's successor in the party leadership, his decision to establish his own association and the UFD's subsequent decision to expel him from the party were consistent with a general trend toward fractionalization among political groups in Congo-Brazzaville.
Various UFD leaders—including Séraphin Onsuené, who was sitting in the National Assembly as the alternate deputy for Abandzounou's constituency of Djambala—visited the party strongholds of Djambala and Ngo in early December 2005 to explain the developments to UFD supporters. Characterizing the foundation of the CAP as a barely concealed move towards the creation of a new party, they argued that Abandzounou had acted contrary to the party's rules and expressed suspicion that he had been bribed to divide and weaken the UFD. They also urged party members and supporters to reject and oppose Abandzounou.
Identified with the political left, the CAP firmly supported President Sassou Nguesso and espoused various ideas typical of the Congolese political scene, such as rural development, social and cultural development, the strengthening of democracy and human rights, national unity, and environmental protection. In a speech marking the first anniversary of the CAP on 12 November 2006, Abandzounou said that the CAP would bring to the political scene an emphasis on the values of "efficiency, pragmatism, openness, [and] listening".
At a special session of the CAP National Council, held on 13 January 2007 at Makabandilou in Brazzaville
, the association was converted into a political party so that it could run candidates in the 2007 parliamentary election
. Abandzounou was retained as Minister of Scientific Research and Technical Education in the government appointed on 3 March 2007. He chose to run again in the June 2007 parliamentary election as the CAP candidate in Djambala; in the election he faced UFD candidate Séraphin Onsuené, who had previously held the seat as his alternate.
As Djambala was considered the stronghold of support for both the UFD and the newly established CAP, the 2007 election was hotly contested and the outcome was crucial for both parties. UFD supporters argued that Abandzounou had only won the seat in 2002 because he had the backing of Ganao. To a large extent, the 2007 election was considered a battle between Abandzounou and Ganao, his former political mentor. Ganao retired from active politics in May 2007, but he remained influential as "patriarch" of the UFD. The election in Djambala and four other constituencies was held over again on 8 July 2007 due to local difficulties. Onsuené defeated Abandzounou in the first round of the re-vote, receiving 55.64% of the vote.
A large coalition of parties and associations supporting Sassou Nguesso, the Rally of the Presidential Majority (RMP), was established on 20 December 2007, and the CAP joined it. With his party having failed to obtain representation in the National Assembly, Abandzounou was dismissed from the government on 30 December 2007; he passed control of the Ministry of Scientific Research to his successor, Hellot Matson Mampouya
, in January 2008. Abandzounou remained at the helm of the CAP in 2008, and the party continued to support Sassou Nguesso. The CAP participated in the 2008 local elections as part of the RMP.
In July 2011, the CAP joined several small parties in choosing to merge itself into Sassou Nguesso's own party, the Congolese Labour Party (PCT). Abandzounou said that the party wanted to affirm its support for Sassou Nguesso and assist him in modernizing the country. At the PCT's Sixth Extraordinary Congress, held later in July 2011, Abandzounou was elected to the PCT's 471-member Central Committee.
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. He served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Secretary of State for Scientific Research from August 2002 to January 2005 and then as Minister of Scientific Research from January 2005 to December 2007. He was also the President of the Action Committee for Progress (CAP) from 2005 to 2011.
Political career
Abandzounou was a professor and researcher at the Marien Ngouabi UniversityMarien 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 Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-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...
, lecturing on history and civilizations. He also served for a time as Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Scientific Research and the Environment. In that capacity, he was involved in organizing the first Congress of African Scientists, which was held in Brazzaville on 25–30 June 1987.
Following the introduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, Abandzounou joined the Union of Democratic Forces
Union of Democratic Forces (Republic of the Congo)
The Union of Democratic Forces is a political party in the Republic of the Congo. In the parliamentary election held on June 24 and August 5 2007, the party won 1 out of 137 seats....
(UFD), a political party led by David-Charles Ganao. In the 1992 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 1992
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo in 1992, along with a presidential election, marking the end of the transition to multiparty politics. The election was held in two rounds, the first on 24 June 1992 and the second on 19 July 1992...
and the 1993 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 1993
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo on 2 May 1993, with a second round in several constituencies on 6 June. The result was a victory for the Presidential Tendency coalition, which won 65 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly....
, Ganao was elected to 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:...
as the UFD candidate in the Djambala
Djambala
Djambala is the main town of Djambala District and the Plateaux Region of the Republic of Congo. It lies north of Brazzaville and lies near the Léfini Reserve.- Transport :...
constituency, located in Plateaux Region, and Abandzounou ran alongside him as his alternate for that seat. The UFD supported President Pascal Lissouba
Pascal 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....
during that period, and Abandzounou was appointed to the government as Minister-Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament on 23 January 1995.
Abandzounou was Secretary-General of the UFD as of 2001. In anticipation of the 2002 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2002
A parliamentary election was held in the Republic of the Congo in 2002; the first round was held on 26 May and the second round on 20 June. The Congolese Labour Party and its allies won a majority of seats in the National Assembly....
, the UFD signed an electoral alliance with President 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...
's Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in late 2001. In a statement on that occasion, Abandzounou said that the alliance was for "democracy and free expression, the establishment of the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, and the irreversibility of political change through the ballot box", and he praised the commitment of Ganao and Sassou Nguesso to peace and reconciliation.
In the May 2002 parliamentary election, Abandzounou was the UFD candidate in Djambala. He won the seat in the first round with 57.43% of the vote. Following the election, Sassou Nguesso appointed him to the government on 18 August 2002 as Secretary of State for Scientific Research. In that post, he worked under the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Henri Ossébi
Henri Ossébi
Henri Ossébi is a Congolese politician who served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Higher Education from 2002 to 2009 and has been Minister of Scientific Research since 2009.-Political career:...
. In a statement to mark International Science Day on 10 November 2002, Abandzounou stressed the importance of science in contributing to sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
.
Abandzounou was promoted to the post of Minister of Scientific Research and Technical Innovation on 7 January 2005. In an August 2005 interview, he emphasized that research was "an engine of socio-economic development for our country". He opened the Third African Summit on Science and New Technologies, which was held in Brazzaville, on 24 October 2005.
On 12 November 2005, Abandzounou founded a political association, the Action Committee for Progress (Comité d'action pour le progrès, CAP). As a result, he and two others who had also participated in the creation of the CAP were expelled from the UFD on 26 November 2005. Although Abandzounou had been considered "one of David-Charles Ganao's closest collaborators" and potentially Ganao's successor in the party leadership, his decision to establish his own association and the UFD's subsequent decision to expel him from the party were consistent with a general trend toward fractionalization among political groups in Congo-Brazzaville.
Various UFD leaders—including Séraphin Onsuené, who was sitting in the National Assembly as the alternate deputy for Abandzounou's constituency of Djambala—visited the party strongholds of Djambala and Ngo in early December 2005 to explain the developments to UFD supporters. Characterizing the foundation of the CAP as a barely concealed move towards the creation of a new party, they argued that Abandzounou had acted contrary to the party's rules and expressed suspicion that he had been bribed to divide and weaken the UFD. They also urged party members and supporters to reject and oppose Abandzounou.
Identified with the political left, the CAP firmly supported President Sassou Nguesso and espoused various ideas typical of the Congolese political scene, such as rural development, social and cultural development, the strengthening of democracy and human rights, national unity, and environmental protection. In a speech marking the first anniversary of the CAP on 12 November 2006, Abandzounou said that the CAP would bring to the political scene an emphasis on the values of "efficiency, pragmatism, openness, [and] listening".
At a special session of the CAP National Council, held on 13 January 2007 at Makabandilou in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-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...
, the association was converted into a political party so that it could run candidates in the 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...
. Abandzounou was retained as Minister of Scientific Research and Technical Education in the government appointed on 3 March 2007. He chose to run again in the June 2007 parliamentary election as the CAP candidate in Djambala; in the election he faced UFD candidate Séraphin Onsuené, who had previously held the seat as his alternate.
As Djambala was considered the stronghold of support for both the UFD and the newly established CAP, the 2007 election was hotly contested and the outcome was crucial for both parties. UFD supporters argued that Abandzounou had only won the seat in 2002 because he had the backing of Ganao. To a large extent, the 2007 election was considered a battle between Abandzounou and Ganao, his former political mentor. Ganao retired from active politics in May 2007, but he remained influential as "patriarch" of the UFD. The election in Djambala and four other constituencies was held over again on 8 July 2007 due to local difficulties. Onsuené defeated Abandzounou in the first round of the re-vote, receiving 55.64% of the vote.
A large coalition of parties and associations supporting Sassou Nguesso, the Rally of the Presidential Majority (RMP), was established on 20 December 2007, and the CAP joined it. With his party having failed to obtain representation in the National Assembly, Abandzounou was dismissed from the government on 30 December 2007; he passed control of the Ministry of Scientific Research to his successor, Hellot Matson Mampouya
Hellot Matson Mampouya
Hellot Matson Mampouya is a Congolese politician. A member of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development , Mampouya served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Scientific Research from 2007 to 2009 and he has been Minister of Fishing since 2009.-Early life and...
, in January 2008. Abandzounou remained at the helm of the CAP in 2008, and the party continued to support Sassou Nguesso. The CAP participated in the 2008 local elections as part of the RMP.
In July 2011, the CAP joined several small parties in choosing to merge itself into Sassou Nguesso's own party, the Congolese Labour Party (PCT). Abandzounou said that the party wanted to affirm its support for Sassou Nguesso and assist him in modernizing the country. At the PCT's Sixth Extraordinary Congress, held later in July 2011, Abandzounou was elected to the PCT's 471-member Central Committee.