Elisabeth Domitien
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Domitien was prime minister of the Central African Republic
from 1975 to 1976. She was the first and to date only woman to hold the position.
Domitien began her political career in the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (MESAN
), the country's only legal political party at the time, being appointed vice president of the party in 1972. On January 2, 1975, the dictator Jean-Bédel Bokassa
formed a new government and introduced the post of prime minister. At first, Domitien was made vice-president of the political party and later was appointed to the position of prime minister. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister of an Africa
n nation.
Her relationship with Bokassa soured after he began discussing the possibility of instituting a monarchy with himself as emperor. When Domitien openly rejected the plans, she was promptly fired and her cabinet was dismissed (7 April 1976). With the overthrow of the Bokassa monarchy in September 1979, Domitien was arrested and brought to trial on charges of covering up extortion committed by Bokassa during her tenure as prime minister. She served a brief prison term in 1979 and then put on trial in 1980, after which she was prohibited from returning to politics, though she remained a prominent figure, both as a former politician and as a businesswoman.
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
from 1975 to 1976. She was the first and to date only woman to hold the position.
Domitien began her political career in the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (MESAN
MESAN
The Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire was a nationalist quasi-religious political party that sought to affirm black humanity and advocated for the independence of Ubangi-Shari, then a French colonial territory...
), the country's only legal political party at the time, being appointed vice president of the party in 1972. On January 2, 1975, the dictator Jean-Bédel Bokassa
Jean-Bédel Bokassa
Jean-Bédel Bokassa , a military officer, was the head of state of the Central African Republic and its successor state, the Central African Empire, from his coup d'état on 1 January 1966 until 20 September 1979...
formed a new government and introduced the post of prime minister. At first, Domitien was made vice-president of the political party and later was appointed to the position of prime minister. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister of an Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n nation.
Her relationship with Bokassa soured after he began discussing the possibility of instituting a monarchy with himself as emperor. When Domitien openly rejected the plans, she was promptly fired and her cabinet was dismissed (7 April 1976). With the overthrow of the Bokassa monarchy in September 1979, Domitien was arrested and brought to trial on charges of covering up extortion committed by Bokassa during her tenure as prime minister. She served a brief prison term in 1979 and then put on trial in 1980, after which she was prohibited from returning to politics, though she remained a prominent figure, both as a former politician and as a businesswoman.