Bruno Amoussou
Encyclopedia
Bruno Ange-Marie Amoussou (born 2 July 1939) is a Benin
ese politician and President of the Social Democratic Party
(PSD). He was the President of the National Assembly
from April 1995 to April 1999 and Minister of State in charge of Planning and Prospective Development under President Mathieu Kérékou
from 1999 to 2005; he is currently a Deputy in the National Assembly. Amoussou has contested all four presidential elections since democratic rule was reintroduced in 1990.
Amoussou was born in Djakotomey
. In the 1991 presidential election
, he received 5.8 % of the vote and fourth place, therefore failing to qualify for the second round. Following the 1995 parliamentary election
, he was elected as President of the National Assembly. He then placed fourth in the March 1996 presidential election
with 7.8 % of the vote; along with third place finisher Houngbédji, Amoussou backed Kérékou against President Nicéphore Soglo
for the second round of the election, and Kérékou was victorious.
Amoussou was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 1999 parliamentary election
, but on 29 April 1999, he was defeated in his bid for re-election as President of the National Assembly by Adrien Houngbédji
in a parliamentary vote, despite being the favored candidate of Kérékou for the position. Amoussou received 38 votes against 45 for Houngbédji. The PSD held its first ordinary congress in early 2000, and Amoussou was elected as the party's President.
In the first round of the March 2001 presidential election
, he placed fourth yet again with 8.6 % of the vote, but participated in the runoff when the second- and third-placed candidates, Soglo and Houngbédji, withdrew from the race. Running against heavily-favored incumbent Kérékou, to whom he had previously given his support for the second round, Amoussou received nearly 16 % of the vote.
Amoussou ran again in the March 2006 presidential election
, obtaining 16.29% of the vote and placing third. He supported Yayi Boni
in the second round.
In the March 2007 parliamentary election
, Amoussou and the PSD participated in the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy
, and Amoussou was again elected to a seat. Afterwards he was again a candidate for President of the National Assembly, losing to Mathurin Nago
of the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin in a vote on 3 May 2007. Amoussou received 34 votes, while Nago received 45.
At the PSD's second ordinary congress in mid-2009, Amoussou was re-elected as PSD President.
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...
ese politician and President of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Benin)
The Social Democratic Party is a political party in Benin.The PSD was founded in 1990. Running together with the National Union for Solidarity and Progress in the February 1991 parliamentary election, the PSD won 9.8% of the vote and eight out of 64 seats in the National Assembly.The PSD's first...
(PSD). He was the President of the National Assembly
National Assembly of Benin
The unicameral National Assembly of Benin is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly has 83 members who are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms.-See also:...
from April 1995 to April 1999 and Minister of State in charge of Planning and Prospective Development under President 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...
from 1999 to 2005; he is currently a Deputy in the National Assembly. Amoussou has contested all four presidential elections since democratic rule was reintroduced in 1990.
Amoussou was born in Djakotomey
Djakotomey
Djakotomey is a town and commune in the Kouffo Department of south-western Benin. The commune covers an area of 325 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 96,732 people.-References:...
. In the 1991 presidential election
Beninese presidential election, 1991
Presidential elections were held in Benin in March 1991, the first such election since 1970. The first round, held on 10 March, saw no candidate receive more than 37% of the vote; the second round on 24 March resulted in Nicéphore Soglo being declared the winner, with almost two-thirds of the vote...
, he received 5.8 % of the vote and fourth place, therefore failing to qualify for the second round. Following the 1995 parliamentary election
Beninese parliamentary election, 1995
Elections for the National Assembly were held in Benin on 28 March 1995. Voting for 13 seats was re-run on 28 May after the Supreme Court had invalidated the results due to irregularities. Voter turnout was 75.8%.-Results:...
, he was elected as President of the National Assembly. He then placed fourth 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...
with 7.8 % of the vote; along with third place finisher Houngbédji, Amoussou backed Kérékou against President Nicéphore Soglo
Nicéphore Soglo
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo is a Beninois 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.-Biography:Soglo was born in Togo...
for the second round of the election, and Kérékou was victorious.
Amoussou was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 1999 parliamentary election
Beninese parliamentary election, 1999
Elections for the National Assembly were held in Benin on 30 March 1999. The Renaissance Party of Benin retained its status as the largest party in the Assembly, increasing its number of seats from 21 to 27, whilst the Democratic Renewal Party won only 11 seats, a reduction of seven.Voter turnout...
, but on 29 April 1999, he was defeated in his bid for re-election as President of the National Assembly by Adrien Houngbédji
Adrien Houngbédji
Adrien Houngbédji is a Beninese politician and the leader of the Democratic Renewal Party , one of Benin's main political parties. He was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 1991 to 1995, Prime Minister of Benin from 1996 to 1998, and President of the National Assembly for a second...
in a parliamentary vote, despite being the favored candidate of Kérékou for the position. Amoussou received 38 votes against 45 for Houngbédji. The PSD held its first ordinary congress in early 2000, and Amoussou was elected as the party's President.
In the first round of the March 2001 presidential 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 fourth yet again with 8.6 % of the vote, but participated in the runoff when the second- and third-placed candidates, Soglo and Houngbédji, withdrew from the race. Running against heavily-favored incumbent Kérékou, to whom he had previously given his support for the second round, Amoussou received nearly 16 % of the vote.
Amoussou ran 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...
, obtaining 16.29% of the vote and placing third. He supported Yayi Boni
Yayi Boni
Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni , a Beninese banker and politician, is the current President of Benin. He took office on 6 April 2006 after winning elections held in the previous month.-Biography:...
in the second round.
In the March 2007 parliamentary election
Beninese parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in Benin on 31 March 2007, having been delayed from an earlier date of 25 March due to difficulties in organizing it. 26 political parties and alliances took part in the election...
, Amoussou and the PSD participated in the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy
Alliance for Dynamism and Democracy
The Alliance for a Democratic Dynamic is an opposition alliance of Benin which contested the Beninese parliamentary election of 2007.It comprised the Social Democratic Party of Bruno Amoussou, the Renaissance Party of Benin of former President of Benin, Nicéphore Soglo and the African Movement for...
, and Amoussou was again elected to a seat. Afterwards he was again a candidate for President of the National Assembly, losing to Mathurin Nago
Mathurin Nago
Mathurin Coffi Nago is a Beninese politician who has been the President of the National Assembly of Benin since 2007. He is also President of the Union for Progress and Democracy , and he was Minister of Higher Education and Vocational Training from 2006 to 2007.As a candidate of the Union for...
of the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin in a vote on 3 May 2007. Amoussou received 34 votes, while Nago received 45.
At the PSD's second ordinary congress in mid-2009, Amoussou was re-elected as PSD President.