Léon Mbou Yembi
Encyclopedia
Léon Mbou Yembi is a Gabon
ese politician. He is the President of the African Forum for Reconstruction
(FAR), a small, radical opposition party, and a Deputy in the National Assembly of Gabon
.
ethnic group, Mbou Yembi was born at Ilendo, near Mouila
, and received his higher education in France
.
, which joined with two other parties to create the FAR in early 1992. As a candidate in the December 1993 presidential election
, he officially placed eighth with 1.83% of the vote.
In April 2005, Mbou Yembi expressed his hope that the opposition could agree on a single candidate to face President Omar Bongo
in the November 2005 presidential election
. He also said that there should be no campaigning prior to the start of the official campaign period late in the year and that it was important to ensure that the election would be fair and transparent before campaigning began. As a representative of the opposition, Mbou Yembi was included on the joint majority–opposition commission on the reform of the electoral process, which began its work in May 2006 and included 12 representatives from the Presidential Majority as well as 12 from the opposition.
Mbou Yembi was elected to the National Assembly as the Deputy from Mougalaba Department, located in Ngounié Province, in the December 2006 parliamentary election
; he was the only FAR candidate to win a seat in the election. In the National Assembly, he became Vice-President of the Group of the Forces of Change (GFC), a parliamentary group that also includes deputies from the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
(UGDD) and the Congress for Democracy and Justice
(CDJ). Later he left that position, although he remained a member of the GFC Parliamentary Group.
Mbou Yembi opposed the planned privatization
of Gabon Telecom
, saying in June 2007 that it was "an affront to national sovereignty". He applauded the government's decision to abolish the death penalty in September 2007, although he urged the government to also put the matter before the National Assembly. In December 2007, he sharply criticized the government, saying that it had failed because large amounts of money had been spent on health and roads without achieving sufficient results. He said that the appointment of the next government should not merely involve a game of "musical chairs
", in which the same old ministers were shuffled to different portfolios, arguing that a real change in the composition of the government was necessary.
Following the death of President Bongo in June 2009, Mbou Yembi announced on 16 July that his party would rally behind a single candidate of the opposition in the 30 August 2009 presidential election
. He said that tribalism, regionalism, and ethnicity should not be factors in the selection of the joint opposition candidate.
In November 2009, Mbou Yembi expressed opposition to the implementation of a law making public service incompatible with holding a leading position in a political party. He stressed that parties needed to be led by people who were properly informed about political issues. Along with various defeated opposition candidates and political parties, the FAR joined a coalition, the Coalition of Groups and Political Parties for Change (Coalition des groupes et partis politiques pour l'alternance, CGPPA), which was announced on 15 November 2009.
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. He is the President of the African Forum for Reconstruction
African Forum for Reconstruction
The African Forum for Reconstruction is a political party in Gabon. It is a radical opposition party led by Léon Mbou Yembi. In the 17 December/24 December 2006 parliamentary election, the party won one out of 120 seats in the National Assembly; this seat was won by Mbou Yembi....
(FAR), a small, radical opposition party, and a Deputy in the National Assembly of Gabon
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:...
.
Early life and education
A member of the VunguVungu
The kingdom or polity of Vungu was a historic mini-state located on the north bank of the Congo River near the modern day town of Matadi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the sixteenth century it's name was written as "Bungu" reflecting the ambiguity of b/v/bh in Kikongo.-History:It is not...
ethnic group, Mbou Yembi was born at Ilendo, near Mouila
Mouila
Mouila is the capital of the Ngounié region of Gabon. It lies on the River Ngounié and the N1 road and has a population of about 20,000 people. Its main sight is the Lac Bleu, a lake known for its bright blue water....
, and received his higher education in France
France
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...
.
Political career
Following the introduction of multiparty politics in 1990s, Mbou Yembi was elected to the National Assembly in the 1990 parliamentary election. He was the leader of the Gabonese Socialist PartyGabonese Socialist Party
The Gabonese Socialist Party is a small political party in Gabon. It was founded in 1992.Augustin Moussavou King was the party's candidate in the November 2005 presidential elections. He finished fourth out of five candidates, winning 0.33 percent of the vote....
, which joined with two other parties to create the FAR in early 1992. As a candidate 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...
, he officially placed eighth with 1.83% of the vote.
In April 2005, Mbou Yembi expressed his hope that the opposition could agree on a single candidate to face 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....
in the November 2005 presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 2005
Gabon held a presidential election on 27 November 2005. Incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967 , sought another seven-year term against four other candidates. According to an announcement of results by the country's interior minister, Bongo won the election with 79.2% of the vote...
. He also said that there should be no campaigning prior to the start of the official campaign period late in the year and that it was important to ensure that the election would be fair and transparent before campaigning began. As a representative of the opposition, Mbou Yembi was included on the joint majority–opposition commission on the reform of the electoral process, which began its work in May 2006 and included 12 representatives from the Presidential Majority as well as 12 from the opposition.
Mbou Yembi was elected to the National Assembly as the Deputy from Mougalaba Department, located in Ngounié Province, in the December 2006 parliamentary election
Gabonese legislative election, 2006
A legislative election was held in Gabon on 17 December 2006 ....
; he was the only FAR candidate to win a seat in the election. In the National Assembly, he became Vice-President of the Group of the Forces of Change (GFC), a parliamentary group that also includes deputies from 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) and the Congress for Democracy and Justice
Congress for Democracy and Justice
The Congress for Democracy and Justice is a political party in Gabon, led by Jules-Aristide Bourdes-Ogouliguende.In the 17 December/24 December 2006 parliamentary election, the CDJ won one out of 120 seats in the National Assembly. Bourdes-Ogouliguende was the only CDJ candidate to win a seat....
(CDJ). Later he left that position, although he remained a member of the GFC Parliamentary Group.
Mbou Yembi opposed the planned privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of Gabon Telecom
Gabon Telecom
Gabon Telecom SA is the largest telecom company in Gabon. The company manages the country's country code top-level domain, .ga. It operates about 35,000 land lines, and its cellular phone service subsidiary, Libertis, has 200,000 customers. In 2007, Maroc Telecom acquired 51% of the company's...
, saying in June 2007 that it was "an affront to national sovereignty". He applauded the government's decision to abolish the death penalty in September 2007, although he urged the government to also put the matter before the National Assembly. In December 2007, he sharply criticized the government, saying that it had failed because large amounts of money had been spent on health and roads without achieving sufficient results. He said that the appointment of the next government should not merely involve a game of "musical chairs
Musical chairs
Musical chairs is a game played by a group of people , often in an informal setting purely for entertainment such as a birthday party...
", in which the same old ministers were shuffled to different portfolios, arguing that a real change in the composition of the government was necessary.
Following the death of President Bongo in June 2009, Mbou Yembi announced on 16 July that his party would rally behind a single candidate of the opposition in the 30 August 2009 presidential election
Gabonese 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...
. He said that tribalism, regionalism, and ethnicity should not be factors in the selection of the joint opposition candidate.
In November 2009, Mbou Yembi expressed opposition to the implementation of a law making public service incompatible with holding a leading position in a political party. He stressed that parties needed to be led by people who were properly informed about political issues. Along with various defeated opposition candidates and political parties, the FAR joined a coalition, the Coalition of Groups and Political Parties for Change (Coalition des groupes et partis politiques pour l'alternance, CGPPA), which was announced on 15 November 2009.