Raimundo Pereira
Encyclopedia
Raimundo Pereira is a Guinea-Bissau
an politician and lawyer who has been the President of the National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau
since December 2008. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
(PAIGC), he served as President of Guinea-Bissau in an interim capacity from 3 March 2009 to 8 September 2009.
Pereira is a lawyer by training. In the November 2008 legislative election
, in which PAIGC won a parliamentary majority, Pereira was elected to the National People's Assembly as a PAIGC candidate in the 28th constituency, located in Bissau
, the capital. He was chosen by PAIGC to replace Francisco Benante
(also a PAIGC member) as President of the National People's Assembly after the election, and accordingly, on 22 December 2008 he was elected as President of the National People's Assembly. He received 60 votes, while a rival PAIGC candidate, Helder Proença
, received 37.
Following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira
by the army
on 2 March 2009, the army stated that Pereira, as President of the National People's Assembly, would succeed Vieira as President of Guinea-Bissau on an interim basis, in accordance with the constitution.
Pereira was sworn in on 3 March 2009; according to the constitution, he had 60 days to organize a presidential election
. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior
and an ECOWAS delegation were present for his swearing in. On that occasion, Pereira urged the international community to help Guinea-Bissau "regain the reflexes of a stable state". The opposition Social Renovation Party (PRS) criticized Pereira's succession, arguing that "a debate open to all active forces in the country in an appropriate forum like parliament to reflect on the kind of state to set up" would have been preferable. At Vieira's funeral on 10 March, Pereira said that meeting the 60-day deadline for holding a new election was "one of our greatest challenges."
Pereira sought the PAIGC nomination for the presidential election, but on 25 April 2009, the PAIGC Central Committee chose Malam Bacai Sanhá
, who was interim President of Guinea-Bissau from 1999 to 2000, as the party's presidential candidate. He received 144 votes, while Pereira received 118. Sanhá went on to win the election and succeeded Pereira on 8 September 2009.
Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west....
an politician and lawyer who has been the President of the National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau
National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau
The unicameral National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau is the country's legislative body.The current National People's Assembly, formed following elections held on 28 March 2004, has a total of 102 seats. 100 members are elected through a system of party-list proportional representation...
since December 2008. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde or PAIGC is a political party that governed Guinea-Bissau from the independence of the then Portuguese Guinea in 1974, until the late 1990s, and from 2004 to 2005. Currently it is the party with the largest number of seats in the...
(PAIGC), he served as President of Guinea-Bissau in an interim capacity from 3 March 2009 to 8 September 2009.
Pereira is a lawyer by training. In the November 2008 legislative election
Guinea-Bissau legislative election, 2008
A parliamentary election was held on 16 November 2008 in Guinea-Bissau. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde won a majority of 67 out of 100 seats, while the Party for Social Renewal won 28 seats.-Chronology:...
, in which PAIGC won a parliamentary majority, Pereira was elected to the National People's Assembly as a PAIGC candidate in the 28th constituency, located in Bissau
Bissau
Bissau is the capital city of Guinea-Bissau. The city's borders are conterminous with the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the city had an estimated population of 407,424 according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos...
, the capital. He was chosen by PAIGC to replace Francisco Benante
Francisco Benante
Francisco Benante is a politician in Guinea-Bissau and a member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde . He was President of PAIGC from 1999 to 2002 and President of the National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau from 2004 to 2008.Benante is a lawyer by profession...
(also a PAIGC member) as President of the National People's Assembly after the election, and accordingly, on 22 December 2008 he was elected as President of the National People's Assembly. He received 60 votes, while a rival PAIGC candidate, Helder Proença
Helder Proença
Helder Proença was a Guinea-Bissauan politician who served as the country's former Minister of Defense during the administration of former President João Bernardo Vieira...
, received 37.
Following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira was the President of Guinea-Bissau from 1980 to 1999 and again from 2005 to 2009. After seizing power in 1980, Vieira ruled for 19 years, and he won a multiparty presidential election in 1994. He was ousted at the end of the 1998–1999 civil war and went into exile...
by the army
Military of Guinea-Bissau
The Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau consist of an Army, Navy, Air Force and paramilitary forces. A 2008 United Nations Development Programme census estimated that there were around 4,000 personnel in the Armed Forces. An earlier CIA World Fact Book figure was 9,250...
on 2 March 2009, the army stated that Pereira, as President of the National People's Assembly, would succeed Vieira as President of Guinea-Bissau on an interim basis, in accordance with the constitution.
Pereira was sworn in on 3 March 2009; according to the constitution, he had 60 days to organize a presidential election
Guinea-Bissau presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Guinea-Bissau on 28 June 2009 following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira on 2 March 2009...
. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior
Carlos Gomes Júnior
Carlos Domingos Gomes Júnior is the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau. He was previously Prime Minister from 10 May 2004 to 2 November 2005, and he was again appointed to that post on 25 December 2008...
and an ECOWAS delegation were present for his swearing in. On that occasion, Pereira urged the international community to help Guinea-Bissau "regain the reflexes of a stable state". The opposition Social Renovation Party (PRS) criticized Pereira's succession, arguing that "a debate open to all active forces in the country in an appropriate forum like parliament to reflect on the kind of state to set up" would have been preferable. At Vieira's funeral on 10 March, Pereira said that meeting the 60-day deadline for holding a new election was "one of our greatest challenges."
Pereira sought the PAIGC nomination for the presidential election, but on 25 April 2009, the PAIGC Central Committee chose Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá is a Guinea-Bissau politician who has been President of Guinea-Bissau since 8 September 2009. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , Sanhá was President of the National People's Assembly from 1994 to 1999 and then served as acting President...
, who was interim President of Guinea-Bissau from 1999 to 2000, as the party's presidential candidate. He received 144 votes, while Pereira received 118. Sanhá went on to win the election and succeeded Pereira on 8 September 2009.