Léon-Alfred Opimbat
Encyclopedia
Léon-Alfred Opimbat is a Congolese
politician who has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Sports and Physical Education since August 2011. Previously he was Minister of Health from 1992 to 1993 and then Minister of National Solidarity and Humanitarian Action from 1997 to 2002, with additional responsibility for health beginning in 1999. Subsequently he was a Deputy in the National Assembly
from 2002 to 2007 and again from 2007 to 2011. He was also President of the New Democratic Forces
(FDN), a political party, from 2007 to 2011; when the FDN merged itself into the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in July 2011, Opimbat became a member of the PCT Political Bureau and was then appointed as Minister of Sports in August 2011.
at the University of Caen and received a degree in medicine. In Congo-Brazzaville, he worked as chief medical officer in charge of health and social services at Marien Ngouabi University
in Brazzaville
and in a similar capacity at the National Electrical Company.
In the 1992 parliamentary election
, Opimbat was first elected to the National Assembly as a candidate in the Mbomo constituency of Cuvette-Ouest Region
. In the power-sharing government of Prime Minister Claude Antoine Dacosta, which was appointed on 25 December 1992 and served until after the mid-1993 parliamentary election
, Opimbat was Minister of Health, Population, and Social Affairs.
Following the June–October 1997 civil war, Opimbat, who was President of the Congolese Association for Openness, Salvation and Solidarity (ACOSS), was appointed to the government as Minister of National Solidarity, the Displaced and the Victims of War, in charge of Humanitarian Action, on 2 November 1997. He was subsequently moved to the post of Minister of Health, Solidarity, and Humanitarian Action on 12 January 1999.
In the May 2002 parliamentary election
, Opimbat was elected to the National Assembly as the ACOSS candidate in Mbomo constituency; he won the seat in the first round with 59.08% of the vote. Following the election, he was not included in the government that was appointed on 18 August 2002; Alain Moka
was appointed to replace him as Minister of Health, and Moka succeeded Opimbat in that post on 22 August. Opimbat was then chosen as President of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Commission on 24 August 2002. The newspaper Le Choc reported on 20 July 2004 that Opimbat, together with a minister and two other former ministers, had been barred from leaving the country without Sassou Nguesso's approval due to suspicions that they had misused public funds. This report was denied on the next day by public prosecutor Georges Akiéra.
In March 2007, ACOSS agreed to merge with several other parties to create a new party, the New Democratic Forces (FDN). At the FDN's constitutive congress (19–21 April 2007), Opimbat was chosen to jointly head the FDN's National Executive Bureau together with Jean-Marie Tassoua
, and on 15 May he and Tassoua signed an electoral agreement on behalf of the FDN with the governing Congolese Labour Party (PCT).
In the 2007 parliamentary election
, Opimbat was the FDN candidate in Mbomo constituency, but in the first round of the election, held on 24 June 2007, he was defeated by Jean Matamaya, the candidate of the Movement for Solidarity and Development
(MSD), who won a narrow majority with about 52% of the vote. Opimbat rejected this result and filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court; on 26 October 2007, the Constitutional Court ruled in his favor, ordering that the election be held over again in Mbomo. In the revote, held on 7 December 2007, Opimbat won the seat. He thus became one of three FDN deputies in the National Assembly.
As of 2008, Opimbat is a member of the National Coordination of the Rally of the Presidential Majority (RMP), a large coalition of parties supporting President Denis Sassou Nguesso
. During the campaign for the 12 July 2009 presidential election
, Opimbat worked on President Sassou Nguesso's re-election campaign, heading its health department.
After several years of dual leadership alongside Tassoua, Opimbat was elected as the sole President of the FDN at its First Ordinary Congress on 2–3 May 2010. On that occasion, he reaffirmed the party's participation in the RMP coalition and said that the FDN was a social democratic
party.
The FDN merged itself into the ruling PCT in July 2011, on the occasion of the PCT's Sixth Extraordinary Congress. At the congress, Opimbat was elected to the PCT's 51-member Political Bureau. He was then appointed to the government as Minister of Sports and Physical Education as part of a minor reshuffle on 17 August 2011.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
politician who has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Sports and Physical Education since August 2011. Previously he was Minister of Health from 1992 to 1993 and then Minister of National Solidarity and Humanitarian Action from 1997 to 2002, with additional responsibility for health beginning in 1999. Subsequently he was a Deputy in the National Assembly
National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo
The Parliament of the Republic of Congo has two chambers. The lower house is the National Assembly . It has 153 members, for a five year term in single-seat constituencies.-See also:...
from 2002 to 2007 and again from 2007 to 2011. He was also President of the New Democratic Forces
New Democratic Forces
The New Democratic Forces was a political party in Congo-Brazzaville from 2007 to 2011.Seven parties, which were formerly members of the United Democratic Forces , agreed to merge to form the FDN on 27 March 2007...
(FDN), a political party, from 2007 to 2011; when the FDN merged itself into the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in July 2011, Opimbat became a member of the PCT Political Bureau and was then appointed as Minister of Sports in August 2011.
Political career
Opimbat studied in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the University of Caen and received a degree in medicine. In Congo-Brazzaville, he worked as chief medical officer in charge of health and social services at Marien Ngouabi University
Marien Ngouabi University
Marien Ngouabi University is the only state-funded university in the Republic of Congo. It is located in the capital of Brazzaville.-History:...
in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
and in a similar capacity at the National Electrical Company.
In the 1992 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 1992
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo in 1992, along with a presidential election, marking the end of the transition to multiparty politics. The election was held in two rounds, the first on 24 June 1992 and the second on 19 July 1992...
, Opimbat was first elected to the National Assembly as a candidate in the Mbomo constituency of Cuvette-Ouest Region
Cuvette-Ouest Region
Cuvette-Ouest is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the western part of the country. It borders the departments of Cuvette and Sangha, and Gabon. The capital is Ewo...
. In the power-sharing government of Prime Minister Claude Antoine Dacosta, which was appointed on 25 December 1992 and served until after the mid-1993 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 1993
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo on 2 May 1993, with a second round in several constituencies on 6 June. The result was a victory for the Presidential Tendency coalition, which won 65 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly....
, Opimbat was Minister of Health, Population, and Social Affairs.
Following the June–October 1997 civil war, Opimbat, who was President of the Congolese Association for Openness, Salvation and Solidarity (ACOSS), was appointed to the government as Minister of National Solidarity, the Displaced and the Victims of War, in charge of Humanitarian Action, on 2 November 1997. He was subsequently moved to the post of Minister of Health, Solidarity, and Humanitarian Action on 12 January 1999.
In the May 2002 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2002
A parliamentary election was held in the Republic of the Congo in 2002; the first round was held on 26 May and the second round on 20 June. The Congolese Labour Party and its allies won a majority of seats in the National Assembly....
, Opimbat was elected to the National Assembly as the ACOSS candidate in Mbomo constituency; he won the seat in the first round with 59.08% of the vote. Following the election, he was not included in the government that was appointed on 18 August 2002; Alain Moka
Alain Moka
Alain Moka is a Congolese politician. He was Minister of Health and Population in the government of Congo-Brazzaville from 2002 to 2005 and is currently a Deputy in the National Assembly.-Political career:...
was appointed to replace him as Minister of Health, and Moka succeeded Opimbat in that post on 22 August. Opimbat was then chosen as President of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Commission on 24 August 2002. The newspaper Le Choc reported on 20 July 2004 that Opimbat, together with a minister and two other former ministers, had been barred from leaving the country without Sassou Nguesso's approval due to suspicions that they had misused public funds. This report was denied on the next day by public prosecutor Georges Akiéra.
In March 2007, ACOSS agreed to merge with several other parties to create a new party, the New Democratic Forces (FDN). At the FDN's constitutive congress (19–21 April 2007), Opimbat was chosen to jointly head the FDN's National Executive Bureau together with Jean-Marie Tassoua
Jean-Marie Tassoua
Jean-Marie Tassoua is a Congolese politician. Tassoua was a militia commander during the 1997 civil war and served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Energy and Hydraulics from 1997 to 2002...
, and on 15 May he and Tassoua signed an electoral agreement on behalf of the FDN with the governing Congolese Labour Party (PCT).
In the 2007 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 24 June 2007, with a second round initially planned for 22 July 2007, but then postponed to 5 August 2007. According to the National Commission of the Organization of the Elections , 1,807 candidates stood in the first round for 137...
, Opimbat was the FDN candidate in Mbomo constituency, but in the first round of the election, held on 24 June 2007, he was defeated by Jean Matamaya, the candidate of the Movement for Solidarity and Development
Movement for Solidarity and Development
The Movement for Solidarity and Development is a political party in the Republic of the Congo and in Burundi.-Congo:...
(MSD), who won a narrow majority with about 52% of the vote. Opimbat rejected this result and filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court; on 26 October 2007, the Constitutional Court ruled in his favor, ordering that the election be held over again in Mbomo. In the revote, held on 7 December 2007, Opimbat won the seat. He thus became one of three FDN deputies in the National Assembly.
As of 2008, Opimbat is a member of the National Coordination of the Rally of the Presidential Majority (RMP), a large coalition of parties supporting President Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso is a Congolese politician who has been the President of Congo-Brazzaville since 1997; he was previously President from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as President, he headed the single-party regime of the Congolese Labour Party for 12 years...
. During the campaign for the 12 July 2009 presidential election
Republic of the Congo presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 12 July 2009. Long-time President Denis Sassou Nguesso won another seven-year term with a large majority of the vote, but the election was marked by accusations of irregularities and fraud from the opposition; six opposition...
, Opimbat worked on President Sassou Nguesso's re-election campaign, heading its health department.
After several years of dual leadership alongside Tassoua, Opimbat was elected as the sole President of the FDN at its First Ordinary Congress on 2–3 May 2010. On that occasion, he reaffirmed the party's participation in the RMP coalition and said that the FDN was a social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party.
The FDN merged itself into the ruling PCT in July 2011, on the occasion of the PCT's Sixth Extraordinary Congress. At the congress, Opimbat was elected to the PCT's 51-member Political Bureau. He was then appointed to the government as Minister of Sports and Physical Education as part of a minor reshuffle on 17 August 2011.