Landing Savané
Encyclopedia
Landing Savané is a Senegal
ese politician and the Secretary-General of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
.
, in the south of Senegal; he was born in Bignona
. He was a prominent figure in the radical student movement of the 1960s and a member of the underground communist
African Independence Party
(PAI). In 1965 Savané revolted against the PAI leadership and formed a separate Senegalese Communist Party
. This split led to the dismantling of the Dakar
cell of PAI. Savané's new party aligned with China
. The Senegalese Communist Party did not last long, but Savané continued his political activity in other movements. Initially Savané and his followers regrouped as Democratic Youth. In 1970 Savané founded the Movement of Young Marxist-Leninists
(MJML). After the dismantling of MJML, Savané formed the underground Marxist group Reenu-Rew
(Roots of the Nation) in 1973. Reenu-Rew gave birth to And-Jëf (Act together) in 1974. Savané was jailed in 1975, but released in 1976. In 1981 And-Jëf was able to register itself as a legal political party. As the leader of And-Jëf, Savané was one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the country.
He unsuccessfully ran for President in 1988 and 1993, taking 0.25% of the vote (fourth place) in 1988 and 2.91% (third place) in 1993. Savané was a Deputy in the National Assembly
from 1993 to 2000. During the Presidency of Abdou Diouf
, from 1981 to 2000, Savané never took part in the government, and And-Jëf was the only major opposition group to consistently refuse to participate in the government. Following riots on February 16, 1994, Savané and fellow opposition leader Abdoulaye Wade
were arrested on February 18. Savané was eventually released in July 1994. In 1998, he compared Diouf to a mafia
leader: "after 20 years in power, a ruling clique comes to resemble a mafia, and heads of the mafia generally don't resign." Savané was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 1998 parliamentary election
, and subsequently he was a Vice-President of the National Assembly from July 1998 to March 2000.
Savané supported Wade, the main opposition candidate, in the February–March 2000 presidential election
, and after Wade's victory Savané was appointed to the government as Minister of Mines, Crafts and Industry in April 2000. In May 2001 he was removed from responsibility for mines, but remained Minister of Crafts and Industry; in November 2002 he gained the rank of Minister of State, while remaining in charge of crafts and industry. He remained in that position until May 2005, when he instead became Minister of State under the President.
On November 12, 2006, Savané was invested as his party's candidate for the presidential election
of February 25, 2007. Despite running against Wade, the incumbent president, Savané retained his position as Minister of State under the President in a cabinet reshuffle on November 23. In early February 2007 Savané announced that he and his party would end their alliance with Wade regardless of who won the election. In the election, Savané took seventh place with 2.07% of the vote. He and the other AJ/PADS ministers resigned from the government on February 27, immediately after the election, but the party remained part of the presidential majority supporting Wade.
Savané was one of three candidates of the coalition And Defaar Sénégal
to be elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election
, winning a seat through national list proportional representation. The coalition, which included AJ/PADS, had backed Savané in the presidential election and chose not to participate in an opposition boycott of the parliamentary election. Savané was again appointed to the post of Minister of State under the President on March 31, 2008, while another AJ/PADS member, Mamadou Diop Decroix, was appointed as Minister of Trade. Later, Savané came into conflict with Decroix, who was Deputy Secretary-General of AJ/PADS, and expelled him from the party, although that decision was contested and caused an internal party crisis in early 2009. Savané was removed from his post as Minister of State under the President on May 1, 2009, and two months later he announced that AJ/PADS was rejoining the opposition.
On 29 December 2009, Savané expressed his solidarity with Senegalese Christians who were offended by comments in which Wade defensively compared an "African Renaissance" statue that was under construction to Christian religious imagery. He reiterated his view that "Wade is now a danger to the nation" and stressed the importance of preserving peace and harmony. According to Savané, Wade treated the people like ignorant children unable to make proper decisions and showed his contempt for them through his efforts to "to impose a third term, by fraud if necessary, and his son
as his successor". He also argued that Wade showed contempt for political parties by excluding them from decisions regarding the electoral code and he alleged that Wade was trying to set Senegalese of different religions against one another, thereby disregarding Senegal's history of religious tolerance and harmony.
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 and the Secretary-General of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism
The And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism is a socialist political party in Senegal led by Landing Savané....
.
Political career
Savané is from CasamanceCasamance
Casamance is the area of Senegal south of The Gambia including the Casamance River. It consists of Basse Casamance and Haute Casamance...
, in the south of Senegal; he was born in Bignona
Bignona
Bignona is a town located in the Ziguinchor Region of Senegal. It briefly appears in the movie Binta and the Great Idea.-Notable people:*Landing Savané, politician*Ibrahima Sonko, footballer*Lamine Diarra, footballer*Séni Camara, sculptor...
. He was a prominent figure in the radical student movement of the 1960s and a member of the underground communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
African Independence Party
Party of Independence and Labour
The Party of Independence and Labour is a communist political party in Senegal. Its current general secretary is Amath Dansokho.PIT emerged out of the Senegalese branch of the African Independence Party . At the time of the 1960 local elections, PAI was accused by the government of fomenting...
(PAI). In 1965 Savané revolted against the PAI leadership and formed a separate Senegalese Communist Party
Senegalese Communist Party
Senegalese Communist Party was a pro-Chinese communist party in Senegal. It was formed by the then student leader Landing Savané in 1965. The party was short-lived, but Savané continued his political activity through other groups.-Source:*Zuccarelli, François. La vie politique sénégalaise . Paris:...
. This split led to the dismantling of the Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
cell of PAI. Savané's new party aligned with China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The Senegalese Communist Party did not last long, but Savané continued his political activity in other movements. Initially Savané and his followers regrouped as Democratic Youth. In 1970 Savané founded the Movement of Young Marxist-Leninists
Movement of Young Marxist-Leninists
Movement of Young Marxist-Leninists was a radical Marxist-Leninist group in Senegal, founded by Landing Savané in 1970. MJML was the continuation of Democratic Youth....
(MJML). After the dismantling of MJML, Savané formed the underground Marxist group Reenu-Rew
Reenu-Rew
Reenu-Rew was a radical Marxist group in Senegal, founded in 1973 by Landing Savané. It published Xarébi . In 1974 Reenu-Rew stood behind the initiative to form And-Jëf....
(Roots of the Nation) in 1973. Reenu-Rew gave birth to And-Jëf (Act together) in 1974. Savané was jailed in 1975, but released in 1976. In 1981 And-Jëf was able to register itself as a legal political party. As the leader of And-Jëf, Savané was one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the country.
He unsuccessfully ran for President in 1988 and 1993, taking 0.25% of the vote (fourth place) in 1988 and 2.91% (third place) in 1993. Savané was a Deputy in the National Assembly
National Assembly of Senegal
The National Assembly of Senegal is the lower house of Senegal's parliament.-The current National Assembly:The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 29 April 2001, has a total of 150 elected members who serve five-year terms. The electoral system is a mixed member...
from 1993 to 2000. During the Presidency of Abdou Diouf
Abdou Diouf
Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...
, from 1981 to 2000, Savané never took part in the government, and And-Jëf was the only major opposition group to consistently refuse to participate in the government. Following riots on February 16, 1994, Savané and fellow opposition leader 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...
were arrested on February 18. Savané was eventually released in July 1994. In 1998, he compared Diouf to a mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
leader: "after 20 years in power, a ruling clique comes to resemble a mafia, and heads of the mafia generally don't resign." Savané was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 1998 parliamentary election
Senegalese parliamentary election, 1998
Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 24 May 1998. The result was a victory for the ruling Socialist Party, which won 93 of the 140 seats...
, and subsequently he was a Vice-President of the National Assembly from July 1998 to March 2000.
Savané supported Wade, the main opposition candidate, in the February–March 2000 presidential election
Senegalese 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...
, and after Wade's victory Savané was appointed to the government as Minister of Mines, Crafts and Industry in April 2000. In May 2001 he was removed from responsibility for mines, but remained Minister of Crafts and Industry; in November 2002 he gained the rank of Minister of State, while remaining in charge of crafts and industry. He remained in that position until May 2005, when he instead became Minister of State under the President.
On November 12, 2006, Savané was invested as his party's candidate for the presidential election
Senegalese presidential election, 2007
A presidential election was held in Senegal on 25 February 2007. The incumbent president, Abdoulaye Wade, who was first elected in 2000, won the election in the first round with almost 56% of the vote.-Date of the election:...
of February 25, 2007. Despite running against Wade, the incumbent president, Savané retained his position as Minister of State under the President in a cabinet reshuffle on November 23. In early February 2007 Savané announced that he and his party would end their alliance with Wade regardless of who won the election. In the election, Savané took seventh place with 2.07% of the vote. He and the other AJ/PADS ministers resigned from the government on February 27, immediately after the election, but the party remained part of the presidential majority supporting Wade.
Savané was one of three candidates of the coalition And Defaar Sénégal
And Defaar Sénégal
And Defaar Sénégal is a political alliance in Senegal. Its main member is the And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism . In the 3 June 2007 parliamentary election, the alliance won 4.94 % of the popular vote and 3 out of 150 seats....
to be elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election
Senegalese parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections were held in Senegal on 3 June 2007. They had originally been planned to be held together with the presidential election on 25 February 2007, but were postponed. 14 parties or coalitions participated in the election, in which the composition of the National Assembly, with...
, winning a seat through national list proportional representation. The coalition, which included AJ/PADS, had backed Savané in the presidential election and chose not to participate in an opposition boycott of the parliamentary election. Savané was again appointed to the post of Minister of State under the President on March 31, 2008, while another AJ/PADS member, Mamadou Diop Decroix, was appointed as Minister of Trade. Later, Savané came into conflict with Decroix, who was Deputy Secretary-General of AJ/PADS, and expelled him from the party, although that decision was contested and caused an internal party crisis in early 2009. Savané was removed from his post as Minister of State under the President on May 1, 2009, and two months later he announced that AJ/PADS was rejoining the opposition.
On 29 December 2009, Savané expressed his solidarity with Senegalese Christians who were offended by comments in which Wade defensively compared an "African Renaissance" statue that was under construction to Christian religious imagery. He reiterated his view that "Wade is now a danger to the nation" and stressed the importance of preserving peace and harmony. According to Savané, Wade treated the people like ignorant children unable to make proper decisions and showed his contempt for them through his efforts to "to impose a third term, by fraud if necessary, and his son
Karim Wade
Karim Wade is a Senegalese 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...
as his successor". He also argued that Wade showed contempt for political parties by excluding them from decisions regarding the electoral code and he alleged that Wade was trying to set Senegalese of different religions against one another, thereby disregarding Senegal's history of religious tolerance and harmony.