Karim Wade
Encyclopedia
Karim Wade is a Senegal
ese politician who has served in the government of Senegal as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development, Air Transport, and Infrastructure since May 2009. He is the son of Abdoulaye Wade
, the President of Senegal. Before joining the government, he was President of the National Agency for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
(Agence Nationale de l'Organisation de la Conférence Islamique, ANOCI) and served as an adviser to his father. He is widely seen as a possible successor to his father as President, and it is widely believed that he is being groomed for the succession by his father.
, was born in Paris
. He attended primary school at the French-Senegalese School of Dakar (part of the les Maristes Cours Sainte Marie de Hann
) and completed his secondary education at the School of Saint Martin of France, where he obtained his Baccalaureate Degree.
He then attended the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne where he obtained a Bachelor's degree
in Management Science followed by a Master's degree
in Financial Engineering.
he was working in London as a bank clerk until his father became president he came back and hijacked all the most powerful positions in the country Mr 10% collects 10% of every company that wants to do business in Senegal he actually rules the country through his puppet father that is 92 years old and who does no longer know left from right
after decades in opposition. In 2002, Karim Wade was named Personal Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of implementing major restructuring projects, among which were the New International Airport of Diass, the restructuring of Chemical Industries of Senegal (Industries Chimiques du Senegal, ICS), and the creation of the special integrated economic zone of Dakar.
In June 2004, Wade was named President of ANOCI, whose mission was to prepare and organize the 11th Islamic Summit. The ANOCI team worked to create a so-called modern transportation infrastructure, rebuilding the Corniche Ouest, and developing public works such as the Soumbedioune Tunnel and the Northern Corridor Highway exchanges. Critics complained that Wade exceeded his budget as President of ANOCI.
On 26 August 2008, Wade met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy
to discuss a project for the installation of a nuclear power station in Senegal. This would ease the problem of electrical power generation which has confronted the country for many years.
was subsequently appointed as Prime Minister, and he met with Karim Wade on 1 May 2009; at that meeting he offered Wade a position in the government, which Wade accepted. Later on the same day, Wade was appointed as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development (Aménagement du territoire), Air Transport, and Infrastructure.
Members of the opposition suggested that Wade and his father had originally planned that he would use local power in Dakar to position himself for the presidential succession, but that the plan had been thwarted due to the opposition's victory in Dakar. Consequently, according to the opposition's speculation, it was decided that Wade would instead be positioned for the succession through control of a key ministry. In the press, Wade's ministry was described as the largest one to ever exist in Senegal since it obtained independence, and Wade was compared to Ali Bongo, son of Gabon
ese President Omar Bongo
, who was also thought to be positioned for the presidential succession through his control of a key ministry. President Wade consistently dismissed claims that he was preparing his son for the succession, describing Karim as an ordinary citizen.
The office building in which Karim Wade worked caught on fire on 1 October 2009 due to an electrical problem, and Wade was rescued from the building by French and Senegalese firefighters. In December 2009, when defending Senegal's construction of a massive "African Renaissance
" statue from imam
claims that it was "idolatrous", President Wade compared the statue to Christian statues of Jesus Christ. Although he used the comparison to counter the suggestion that the statue was idolatrous, some Christians angrily protested his remarks, and Wade sent Karim to deliver an apology to Theodore Adrien Sarr, the Archbishop of Dakar.
In a government where decision-making was already heavily dominated by President Wade, Karim was given vast responsibilities that far exceeded those assigned to ordinary ministers, and some argued that his portfolio covered 46% of the state's budget. According to President Wade, Karim's vast responsibilities were justified by his exceptional competence. By 2010, with Karim playing a key role in government work, it seemed clear to many Senegalese that he was being prepared for the presidential succession, particularly in light of his father's advanced age (Abdoulaye Wade was 84 years old in 2010). The elder Wade's decision to create the office of Vice-President fuelled rumors that he envisioned it as a mechanism through which to secure his son's succession, although he made no immediate move to appoint Karim (or anyone else) to the newly-created post.
Despite the ongoing speculation, in 2010 President Wade still seemed fit and energetic for a man of his age, and he expressed his intention to stand for another term in the 2012 presidential election
. Karim himself was observed to be highly deferential towards his father. In the public, there was considerable objection to the notion of a father–son succession, and Karim seemed foreign to many Senegalese, raising the question of whether such a succession would be politically viable.
President Wade expanded his "super-minister" son's already vast responsibilities even further by assigning him the energy portfolio, in addition to his existing portfolios, on 4 October 2010.
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese politician who has served in the government of Senegal as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development, Air Transport, and Infrastructure since May 2009. He is the son of Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade is the third and current President of Senegal, in office since 2000. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party and has led the party since it was founded in 1974...
, the President of Senegal. Before joining the government, he was President of the National Agency for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
Organisation of the Islamic Conference
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
(Agence Nationale de l'Organisation de la Conférence Islamique, ANOCI) and served as an adviser to his father. He is widely seen as a possible successor to his father as President, and it is widely believed that he is being groomed for the succession by his father.
Biography
Karim Meïssa Wade, the son of Abdoulaye Wade and his French wife, Viviane WadeViviane Wade
Viviane Wade is the current First Lady of Senegal. Born at Besançon, she was raised in France. In 1963 she married Abdoulaye Wade, a Senegalese man who later became active as an opposition leader in Senegal and was eventually elected as President of Senegal in 2000. They have two children, son...
, was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He attended primary school at the French-Senegalese School of Dakar (part of the les Maristes Cours Sainte Marie de Hann
Cours Sainte Marie de Hann
Cours Sainte Marie de Hann is a school for ages ranging from Kindergarten to high school in Dakar, Senegal. It was founded in 1949-1950 and belongs a group of private schools in the Dakar Diocese of the Catholic Church....
) and completed his secondary education at the School of Saint Martin of France, where he obtained his Baccalaureate Degree.
He then attended the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne where he obtained a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Management Science followed by a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Financial Engineering.
he was working in London as a bank clerk until his father became president he came back and hijacked all the most powerful positions in the country Mr 10% collects 10% of every company that wants to do business in Senegal he actually rules the country through his puppet father that is 92 years old and who does no longer know left from right
Career
Karim's father, Abdoulaye Wade, was elected as President of Senegal in the 2000 presidential electionSenegalese presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Senegal on 27 February 2000, with a second round taking place on 19 March after no candidate won over 50% of votes in the first round...
after decades in opposition. In 2002, Karim Wade was named Personal Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of implementing major restructuring projects, among which were the New International Airport of Diass, the restructuring of Chemical Industries of Senegal (Industries Chimiques du Senegal, ICS), and the creation of the special integrated economic zone of Dakar.
In June 2004, Wade was named President of ANOCI, whose mission was to prepare and organize the 11th Islamic Summit. The ANOCI team worked to create a so-called modern transportation infrastructure, rebuilding the Corniche Ouest, and developing public works such as the Soumbedioune Tunnel and the Northern Corridor Highway exchanges. Critics complained that Wade exceeded his budget as President of ANOCI.
On 26 August 2008, Wade met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
to discuss a project for the installation of a nuclear power station in Senegal. This would ease the problem of electrical power generation which has confronted the country for many years.
2009 Dakar election and ministerial appointment
Karim Wade ran for office for the first time in the March 2009 local elections in Dakar. Although Wade won a seat as a municipal councillor, the opposition won a majority of seats and thus gained control of Dakar's municipal government; the outcome was considered to be a political humiliation for Wade. Souleymane Ndéné NdiayeSouleymane Ndéné Ndiaye
Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye is a Senegalese politician who was appointed as Prime Minister of Senegal on 30 April 2009. He was previously Minister of the Civil Service and Labour in 2005, Director of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic from 2005 to 2007, and Minister of State for the Maritime...
was subsequently appointed as Prime Minister, and he met with Karim Wade on 1 May 2009; at that meeting he offered Wade a position in the government, which Wade accepted. Later on the same day, Wade was appointed as Minister of State for International Cooperation, Regional Development (Aménagement du territoire), Air Transport, and Infrastructure.
Members of the opposition suggested that Wade and his father had originally planned that he would use local power in Dakar to position himself for the presidential succession, but that the plan had been thwarted due to the opposition's victory in Dakar. Consequently, according to the opposition's speculation, it was decided that Wade would instead be positioned for the succession through control of a key ministry. In the press, Wade's ministry was described as the largest one to ever exist in Senegal since it obtained independence, and Wade was compared to Ali Bongo, son of Gabon
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 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....
, who was also thought to be positioned for the presidential succession through his control of a key ministry. President Wade consistently dismissed claims that he was preparing his son for the succession, describing Karim as an ordinary citizen.
The office building in which Karim Wade worked caught on fire on 1 October 2009 due to an electrical problem, and Wade was rescued from the building by French and Senegalese firefighters. In December 2009, when defending Senegal's construction of a massive "African Renaissance
African Renaissance
The African Renaissance is the concept that African people and nations overcome the current challenges confronting the continent and achieve cultural, scientific, economic, etc. renewal. This concept has been popularized by South African President Thabo Mbeki during his term of office...
" statue from imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
claims that it was "idolatrous", President Wade compared the statue to Christian statues of Jesus Christ. Although he used the comparison to counter the suggestion that the statue was idolatrous, some Christians angrily protested his remarks, and Wade sent Karim to deliver an apology to Theodore Adrien Sarr, the Archbishop of Dakar.
In a government where decision-making was already heavily dominated by President Wade, Karim was given vast responsibilities that far exceeded those assigned to ordinary ministers, and some argued that his portfolio covered 46% of the state's budget. According to President Wade, Karim's vast responsibilities were justified by his exceptional competence. By 2010, with Karim playing a key role in government work, it seemed clear to many Senegalese that he was being prepared for the presidential succession, particularly in light of his father's advanced age (Abdoulaye Wade was 84 years old in 2010). The elder Wade's decision to create the office of Vice-President fuelled rumors that he envisioned it as a mechanism through which to secure his son's succession, although he made no immediate move to appoint Karim (or anyone else) to the newly-created post.
Despite the ongoing speculation, in 2010 President Wade still seemed fit and energetic for a man of his age, and he expressed his intention to stand for another term in the 2012 presidential election
Senegalese presidential election, 2012
The 2012 Senegalese Presidential Election is scheduled to take place on 26 February 2012. The 26 February date was decreed by the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade on 23 November 2010. President Wade has indicated that he will stand for his third term, set at seven years by the constitution....
. Karim himself was observed to be highly deferential towards his father. In the public, there was considerable objection to the notion of a father–son succession, and Karim seemed foreign to many Senegalese, raising the question of whether such a succession would be politically viable.
President Wade expanded his "super-minister" son's already vast responsibilities even further by assigning him the energy portfolio, in addition to his existing portfolios, on 4 October 2010.