Casimir Oyé-Mba
Encyclopedia
Casimir Marie Ange Oyé-Mba (born 20 April 1942) is a Gabon
ese politician. After serving as Governor of the Bank of Central African States
(BEAC) from 1978 to 1990, Oyé-Mba was Prime Minister of Gabon from 3 May 1990 to 2 November 1994. Subsequently he remained in the government as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
from 1994 to 1999, Minister of State for Planning from 1999 to 2007, and Minister of State for Mines and Oil from 2007 to 2009.
of Estuaire Province. His father trained to become a Catholic priest
under Marcel Lefebvre
, but was dismissed from the seminary. He joined the Central Bank of the States of Equatorial Africa and Cameroon (BCEAEC) in January 1968; in January 1970, he became deputy director of its agency in Libreville
, Gabon, and in April 1970 he became director of the Libreville agency. In 1973, when the BCEAEC became the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), Oyé-Mba became its National Director for Gabon, and in January 1977 he became Assistant Director-General of BEAC at its headquarters in Yaoundé
, Cameroon
. In April 1978, he became Governor of BEAC, remaining in this post until 1990.
held later in 1990, he won a seat in the National Assembly
from Komo-Mondah Department in Estuaire Province, and following the election he was retained as Prime Minister in November 1990. In the December 1993 presidential election
, which was won by incumbent President Omar Bongo
, Oyé-Mba was Bongo's campaign manager; following the election, he resigned on 11 March 1994, but Bongo reappointed him on 13 March, and a new government headed by Oyé-Mba was named on 25 March. Following the signing of an agreement with the opposition later that year, Oyé-Mba and his government resigned on 11 October 1994 and were replaced by a new coalition government headed by Paulin Obame-Nguema
on 2 November. Oyé-Mba was included in Obame-Nguema's government as Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
, and he served in that position until January 1999. He then became Minister of State in charge of Planning, Development Programming and Regional Planning in the government of Prime Minister Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
on 25 January 1999.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the December 1996 parliamentary election and in the December 2001 parliamentary election. In the December 2002 municipal elections, he was elected as a member of the city council in Ntoum
.
Oyé-Mba was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of President of the African Development Bank
in 2005; he reached the fourth round of voting on the first day of the election, 18 May 2005.
In the December 2006 parliamentary election
, Oyé-Mba again won a seat in the National Assembly as the PDG candidate in Ntoum constituency; he retained his position in the government after that election. Later, after nearly nine years as Minister of State for Planning, Oyé-Mba was moved to the position of Minister of State for Mines, Petroleum, Oil, Energy, Water Resources and the Promotion of New Energies in the government that was named on 28 December 2007.
scheduled for 30 August 2009. Although he was considered one of the leading contenders, in mid-July 2009 Bongo's son Ali-Ben Bongo
was chosen as the PDG candidate instead. Having failed to obtain the nomination, Oyé-Mba announced that he would instead run as an independent presidential candidate on 21 July; he questioned the circumstances of Bongo's selection and said that he wanted to be "the true candidate of consensus". He was then excluded from the government that was appointed on 22 July 2009, after 19 years of continuous service.
The Patriotic United Forces (FPU), an opposition group, announced on 29 July 2009 that it was supporting Oyé-Mba's candidacy. It described him as a "man of integrity, peace, and experience" and "the true candidate of consensus". Speaking in Libreville on 9 August, Oyé-Mba said that he would focus on fighting youth unemployment if he was elected and he said that "if young people no longer trust politicians, it is because of a sense that they have often been betrayed".
During campaigning for the election, Oyé-Mba criticized the uneven distribution of wealth in Gabon: "60 percent of Gabonese live below the vital minimum income threshold ... and only two percent of the population really benefits from the wealth of our country". He stressed the importance of improving governance. During his campaign, which stressed his long experience, Oyé-Mba also called for more road construction (100 kilometers per year), saving money by reducing the number of ministers in the government, and reinstating the two-term limit on the Presidency.
Oyé-Mba withdrew his candidacy on election day, citing his concerns about the possibility of violence. Despite his withdrawal, he placed fifth, with 0.92% of the vote, according to results released by the Constitutional Court on 4 September 2009.
On 30 December 2009, the planned creation of a new, united opposition party was announced, and Oyé-Mba was among the various opposition leaders participating in it. Oyé-Mba then joined the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
(UGDD), an opposition party led by Zacharie Myboto
, and the UGDD merged with two other parties to create a unified opposition party, the National Union. At the party's launch on 10 February 2010, Oyé-Mba was designated as one of five Vice-Presidents.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
ese politician. After serving as Governor of the Bank of Central African States
Bank of Central African States
The Bank of Central African States is a central bank that serves six central African countries which form the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa:*Cameroon*Central African Republic*Chad*Equatorial Guinea*Gabon*Republic of the Congo...
(BEAC) from 1978 to 1990, Oyé-Mba was Prime Minister of Gabon from 3 May 1990 to 2 November 1994. Subsequently he remained in the government as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
from 1994 to 1999, Minister of State for Planning from 1999 to 2007, and Minister of State for Mines and Oil from 2007 to 2009.
Early life and financial career
A member of the Fang ethnic group, Casimir Oyé-Mba was born in Nzamaligué, located in the Komo-Mondah DepartmentKomo-Mondah Department
Komo-Mondah is a department of Estuaire Province in western Gabon. The capital lies at Ntoum.- Ecology:The Department contains the protected Mondah Forest....
of Estuaire Province. His father trained to become a Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
under Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel Lefebvre
Marcel François Marie Joseph Lefebvre was a French Roman Catholic archbishop. Following a career as an Apostolic Delegate for West Africa and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing the changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.In 1970,...
, but was dismissed from the seminary. He joined the Central Bank of the States of Equatorial Africa and Cameroon (BCEAEC) in January 1968; in January 1970, he became deputy director of its agency in Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, Gabon, and in April 1970 he became director of the Libreville agency. In 1973, when the BCEAEC became the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), Oyé-Mba became its National Director for Gabon, and in January 1977 he became Assistant Director-General of BEAC at its headquarters in Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
, Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. In April 1978, he became Governor of BEAC, remaining in this post until 1990.
Political career
Following the 1990 National Conference in Gabon, Oyé-Mba was appointed as Prime Minister of Gabon on 27 April 1990. In the parliamentary electionGabonese legislative election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Gabon in 1990, the first multy-party elections in the country since 1967. The first round of voting was held on 16 September, with a second round due the following week. However, results from 32 of the 120 constituencies were annulled after public protests...
held later in 1990, he won a seat in the National Assembly
National Assembly of Gabon
The National Assembly of Gabon is the lower house of the Parliament of Gabon. It has 120 members, 111 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies and 9 members appointed by the President.-Latest results:...
from Komo-Mondah Department in Estuaire Province, and following the election he was retained as Prime Minister in November 1990. In the December 1993 presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 1993
Gabon held a presidential election on 5 December 1993. Incumbent President Omar Bongo, in power since 1967, sought a five-year term against 12 other candidates. It was Gabon's first multiparty election, and according to official results Bongo won in the first round with 51.2% of the vote...
, which was won by incumbent President Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
, Oyé-Mba was Bongo's campaign manager; following the election, he resigned on 11 March 1994, but Bongo reappointed him on 13 March, and a new government headed by Oyé-Mba was named on 25 March. Following the signing of an agreement with the opposition later that year, Oyé-Mba and his government resigned on 11 October 1994 and were replaced by a new coalition government headed by Paulin Obame-Nguema
Paulin Obame-Nguema
Dr. Paulin Obame-Nguema is a Gabonese politician who was the Prime Minister of Gabon from 2 November 1994 to 23 January 1999. He is currently a Deputy in the National Assembly of Gabon.-Prime Minister :...
on 2 November. Oyé-Mba was included in Obame-Nguema's government as Minister of State in charge of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
, and he served in that position until January 1999. He then became Minister of State in charge of Planning, Development Programming and Regional Planning in the government of Prime Minister Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane is a Gabonese politician who was Prime Minister of Gabon from 23 January 1999 to 20 January 2006. Since 2008 he has been Mayor of Libreville, the capital....
on 25 January 1999.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the December 1996 parliamentary election and in the December 2001 parliamentary election. In the December 2002 municipal elections, he was elected as a member of the city council in Ntoum
Ntoum
Ntoum is a town located in Estuaire Province, Gabon. It is the capital of the Komo-Mondah Department.- Transport :* It is located on the Trans-Gabon Railway about 40 km east of the capital Libreville, and is the proposed junction for the line to the iron ore exporting port of Santa Clara....
.
Oyé-Mba was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of President of the African Development Bank
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa...
in 2005; he reached the fourth round of voting on the first day of the election, 18 May 2005.
In the December 2006 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2006
A legislative election was held in Gabon on 17 December 2006 ....
, Oyé-Mba again won a seat in the National Assembly as the PDG candidate in Ntoum constituency; he retained his position in the government after that election. Later, after nearly nine years as Minister of State for Planning, Oyé-Mba was moved to the position of Minister of State for Mines, Petroleum, Oil, Energy, Water Resources and the Promotion of New Energies in the government that was named on 28 December 2007.
2009 presidential candidacy
Following the death of President Bongo on 8 June 2009, Oyé-Mba—a member of the PDG Political Bureau—was one of ten PDG members who submitted applications to stand as the party's candidate in the early presidential electionGabonese presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Gabon on 30 August 2009 after the incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba died on 8 June 2009. While the constitution stated that Interim President Rose Francine Rogombé should organise elections within 30 to 45 days, the Constitutional Court accepted the...
scheduled for 30 August 2009. Although he was considered one of the leading contenders, in mid-July 2009 Bongo's son Ali-Ben Bongo
Ali-Ben Bongo
Ali Bongo Ondimba is a Gabonese politician who has been President of Gabon since October 2009.Bongo is the son of Omar Bongo, who was President of Gabon from 1967 until his death in 2009...
was chosen as the PDG candidate instead. Having failed to obtain the nomination, Oyé-Mba announced that he would instead run as an independent presidential candidate on 21 July; he questioned the circumstances of Bongo's selection and said that he wanted to be "the true candidate of consensus". He was then excluded from the government that was appointed on 22 July 2009, after 19 years of continuous service.
The Patriotic United Forces (FPU), an opposition group, announced on 29 July 2009 that it was supporting Oyé-Mba's candidacy. It described him as a "man of integrity, peace, and experience" and "the true candidate of consensus". Speaking in Libreville on 9 August, Oyé-Mba said that he would focus on fighting youth unemployment if he was elected and he said that "if young people no longer trust politicians, it is because of a sense that they have often been betrayed".
During campaigning for the election, Oyé-Mba criticized the uneven distribution of wealth in Gabon: "60 percent of Gabonese live below the vital minimum income threshold ... and only two percent of the population really benefits from the wealth of our country". He stressed the importance of improving governance. During his campaign, which stressed his long experience, Oyé-Mba also called for more road construction (100 kilometers per year), saving money by reducing the number of ministers in the government, and reinstating the two-term limit on the Presidency.
Oyé-Mba withdrew his candidacy on election day, citing his concerns about the possibility of violence. Despite his withdrawal, he placed fifth, with 0.92% of the vote, according to results released by the Constitutional Court on 4 September 2009.
On 30 December 2009, the planned creation of a new, united opposition party was announced, and Oyé-Mba was among the various opposition leaders participating in it. Oyé-Mba then joined the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
The Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development is an political party in Gabon...
(UGDD), an opposition party led by Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto is a Gabonese politician and President of the National Union , an opposition party. He was the Administrative Secretary of the Gabonese Democratic Party from 1972 to 1990 and served in the government from 1978 to 2001...
, and the UGDD merged with two other parties to create a unified opposition party, the National Union. At the party's launch on 10 February 2010, Oyé-Mba was designated as one of five Vice-Presidents.