Jean-Marie Doré (12 June 1938 – 29 January 2016) was a
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
n politician who was the
Prime Minister of Guinea
This article lists the prime ministers of Guinea, since the establishment of the office of Prime Minister in 1972.
List
Key
;''Political parties''
*
*
*
*
;''Other factions''
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Officeholders
Notes
Timeline
See also
* Guinea
** List ...
from January 2010 until December 2010. Doré, who was the President of the
Union for the Progress of Guinea
The Union for the Progress of Guinea (french: Union pour le Progrès de la Guinée, UPG) is an opposition political party in Guinea. In the parliamentary election held on 30 June 2002, the party won 4.1% of the popular vote and 3 out of 114 seats. ...
(UPG), was an opposition leader for years before being chosen to head a transitional government that was in place during the preparation and conduct of the
2010 presidential election.
Political career under Conté
A native of
Bossou
Bossou is a town and sub-prefecture in the Lola Prefecture in the Nzérékoré Region of south-eastern Guinea. Much of the sub prefecture consists of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve. The Bossou Hills Reserve situated at the south-easter ...
in Guinea's
Forestière region,
[Saliou Samb]
"Possible candidates for Guinean PM job"
Reuters, 14 January 2010.["Guinea in Transition"]
Crisis Group Africa Briefing, number 37, 11 April 2006, pages 5–6 Doré received his higher education in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, where he studied law.
["Who is new Guinean premier Dore?"]
Reuters, 19 January 2010. He emerged as an important opposition leader in the early 1990s.
[
Doré, an intellectual known for his "fiery rhetoric and a sometimes outlandish persona", was a radical opponent and vitriolic critic of President .][ Considered a " gadfly" on the political scene by some observers,][ Doré never participated in the government under Lansana Conté.][
With his main support base among the minority ethnic groups of the Forestière region, Doré was a candidate in the 1993 presidential election;][''Political Parties of the World'' (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 275.] according to official results, he placed sixth with 0.9% of the vote.[Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich, and Bernhard Thibaut, ''Elections in Africa: A Data Handbook'' (1999), Oxford University Press, pages 455–457.] Subsequently he was elected to the National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
in the 1995 parliamentary election, winning a seat through national list proportional representation. He was the only UPG candidate to win a seat.[
Doré ran again as the UPG candidate in the December 1998 presidential election.][ On 7 December 1998, shortly before the 1998 election was held, he called for it to be delayed due to inadequate preparations. After the election, he was placed under ]house arrest
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
for a short period while votes were counted. The official results showed Doré placing fourth with 1.7% of the vote.[
During the 1990s civil war in Liberia, Doré expressed friendship with Charles Taylor, the leader of one of Liberia's main armed factions.][Adam Nossiter]
"Guinea junta picks opponent as premier on path to civilian control"
''The New York Times'', 20 January 2010, page A10. Following a UPG extraordinary congress, Doré held a press conference in late February 2001 in which he said that Conté and Taylor should act to facilitate peace by ceasing their mutual practice of giving shelter to the other's armed opponents. Doré called on Conté to disarm members of the anti-Taylor United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) was an anti-rebel group that participated in the First Liberian Civil War (1989–1996).
ULIMO was formed in May 1991 by Krahn and Mandingo refugees and soldiers who had fought in the ...
(ULIMO) who were in Guinea, saying that in doing so he would deny Taylor "a pretext for making trouble in Guinea".
Speaking in July 2001, Doré denounced the ruling party's campaign for a constitutional amendment that would allow President Conté to run for another term and threatened to withdraw the UPG from a national dialogue if the ruling party continued the campaign. He also stressed the importance of holding a new parliamentary election.
Although most of the opposition chose to boycott the June 2002 parliamentary election, the UPG participated[Page on 2002 election]
at IPU PARLINE. and won three seats;[ Doré was among those elected. However, the UPG contested the official results of the election, which showed it winning three seats, and boycotted the National Assembly.][
]
FRAD and the 2003 presidential election
In the run-up to the December 2003 presidential election, Doré was the spokesman of the Republican Front for Democratic Change
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
(FRAD), which grouped seven opposition parties. FRAD boycotted a dialogue that the government attempted to initiate in July 2003; later, in September 2003, Interior Minister Moussa Solano Moussa (sometimes spelled Mousa) is both a given name and a surname. It is a Gallicized spelling of the Arabic name '' Mūsā'' ( ar, موسی, " Moses"). Notable people with the name include:
Given name: Moussa
* Moussa Ag Amastan, Amenokal of th ...
said that opposition activities could be covered in the state media, but Doré, acting as FRAD spokesman, stressed that nothing less than a "signed statement by the authorities" would suffice, and he observed that the government had ignored opposition demands for the creation of a new and independent electoral commission. At a meeting between FRAD and the government on 29 September 2003, there were initially tensions between Doré and government supporters, but the government agreed to establish two commissions to review opposition demands and FRAD in turn agreed to participate in dialogue.
On 21 October 2003, the government refused to allow broadcast of a statement from FRAD that accused the government of planning fraud, and it also announced, without the opposition's agreement, that the election would be held on 21 December. Doré reacted to the two decisions with outrage, saying that the dialogue had been exposed as nothing but a pretense. Doré and the other major opposition leaders announced in early November 2003 that they would boycott the election.
In an interview with Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of France. With 37.2 million listeners in 2014, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world, along with ...
on 13 November 2003, Doré said that Conté's medical certificate, which cleared him to stand as a candidate despite his obviously failing health, was farcical. He also characterized the candidacy of Mamadou Bhoye Barry Mamadou is a common given name in West Africa among predominantly Muslim ethnic groups such as the Mandé and Wolof people. It is a variant of the Arabic name Muhammad.
Academics
*Mamadou Diouf (historian), Senegalese professor of West African hi ...
—a minor politician who was standing as Conté's only opponent in the election—as a calculated ploy, arguing that Barry was "planted by President Conté himself to show a semblance of democracy in the election." Doré was arrested later on the same day. Minister of Security Aboubacar Sampil spoke of putting him on trial for the offense of insulting the President, but he was quickly released, apparently due to pressure from the West,["Guinea: Outspoken opposition leader released from jail"]
IRIN, 17 November 2003. after 21 hours in detention.[ Doré struck a defiant tone upon his release from prison: "This will not cower me into submission ... as a matter of fact I am now determined more than before to see an end to the regime of Conté. The Conté of today is not the Conté of 10 years ago. He has lost his energy to govern." In an interview with IRIN, he said that he was held in "deplorable" conditions at a maximum security prison and that he "slept on an arm chair with issuit and shoes still on".][
At a news conference on 18 November 2003, FRAD denounced Sampil for "turn ngthis country into a police state" and demanded a delay in the election, vowing to disrupt it if it was held as planned in December. On the same occasion, Doré thanked his supporters for their show of solidarity. When Conté, who was easily re-elected, was sworn in for his new term on 19 January 2004, Doré said that it was "a sad day for Guinean politics", and he observed that several important regional leaders were not present for the occasion. Doré expressed satisfaction with Conté's decision to dismiss Moussa Solano from the government on 1 March 2004, saying that Solano was "the greatest obstacle to true democracy in this country".
]
Activities during Conté's last years (2005–2008)
As Conté's health was known to be failing, there was much speculation for years about what would happen upon his death. Doré stressed that the opposition parties needed to agree on a strategy for the post-Conté era. He also said that if the military took power after Conté's death, it would "not be able to last more than a few months, because it will get no financial backing from the international community and will not be able to meet people's basic needs". Later, on 10 September 2005, Doré read a statement on behalf of FRAD in which he described Conté as "an obstacle to Guinea's development" and urged him to resign: "You are not what the country needs. You are sick. You must make the wise decision to leave now before others make it for you." Doré announced on 29 October 2005 that FRAD would participate in the December 2005 municipal elections; while he stressed that "there are no guarantees of fair play", he said that FRAD would nevertheless "show the international community that we are committed to helping our country go forward".
When Conté went to Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
for medical treatment in March 2006, Doré again called attention to the state of Conté's health, saying that there was a legal requirement for the President to be sufficiently healthy to exercise his duties. He also said that the people deserved to know more about the situation and that "health bulletins should be published" to keep them informed. Later in 2006, amidst negotiations concerning a planned parliamentary election in 2007, Doré reiterated that negotiations between the government and opposition were ultimately futile if an independent electoral commission was not established.
Doré was alone among major opposition leaders in boycotting the March 2006 National Consultation, which proposed various reforms and a political transition.[ In January 2007, amidst a ]general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...
backed by the opposition, Doré said that the people were outraged by Conté's "arrogant show of impunity" in releasing two of his friends from prison. He also emphasized that the people were "fed up with living in a country where nothing works even when there is not a general strike. People have nothing to lose."
Events since 2008
After nearly 25 years in power, Conté died on 23 December 2008. Speaking after the news was announced, Doré expressed sadness despite his opposition to Conté's policies. He stressed that "it is essential that the institutions function correctly and that the provisions of the constitution be respected" in the course of a peaceful transition. However, elements of the military seized power in a ''coup d'état'' within hours, establishing the National Council for Democracy and Development
The National Council for Democracy and Development (french: Conseil national pour la démocratie et le développement, CNDD) was the ruling junta of Guinea from 2008 to 2010.
Historical background
The CNDD seized power in the 2008 Guinean coup ...
(CNDD) as the ruling junta. Together with other opposition parties, as well as civil society groups and trade unions, the UPG then formed the Forum of Active Forces (''Forum des Forces Vives'', FFV), an opposition coalition that sought a quick transition to elections and civilian rule. During that period, Doré played an important part in the opposition's talks with the CNDD[ and was spokesman of the FFV;][Mathieu Bonkoungou]
"Guinea's Camara to stay abroad, two proposed for PM"
Reuters, 15 January 2010. he was considered particularly suitable for talks with the CNDD because he and CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara (; born 1 January 1964), now called Moïse Dadis Camara (),''Le Populaire'', , N°3232, 31 August 2010, p. 2 is an ex-officer of the Guinean army who served as the President of Guinea from 23 December 2008 to 15 Ja ...
were both native to the Forestière region.[Adam Nossiter]
"After massacre, Guinea sees hope of lifted chains"
''The New York Times'', 3 February 2010, page A1. In contrast to his earlier rhetoric, it was observed that by that point he had adopted a more "level-headed" tone.[
]
September 2009 violence
Acting on behalf of the FFV, Doré met with CNDD President Camara on 19 September 2009 to explain the FFV's plans to hold a "peaceful rally" on 28 September. The rally was intended to demonstrate opposition to Camara's purported plans to stand as a presidential candidate in the planned elections. Camara expressed concerns, but after Doré assured him that the rally would be held inside a stadium and there would be no "protest marches", he gave permission for the rally to be held. Later, on 27 September, the junta banned any demonstrations on 28 September; nevertheless, the FFV went forward with its plans, saying that it had received no official rejection of its request.
On the morning of 28 September, other opposition leaders met at Doré's home before leaving to participate in the demonstration. Doré remained at home because Camara had sent a group of religious leaders to his home with a message for the opposition leaders, attempting to persuade them to call off the demonstration. By the time Doré reached the 28 September Stadium for the demonstration, he was unable to enter it due to the number of people who had gathered; thus he was not present with the other opposition leaders on the stadium's podium and could not reach them to deliver Camara's message. From his position outside the stadium, Doré watched as the soldiers began to shoot the opposition supporters. According to Doré's account, he was then assaulted by five soldiers from the Presidential Guard, two of whom had been ULIMO fighters, and was nearly killed before Captain Moussa Tiégboro Camara, who was Minister at the Presidency for the Fight Against Drugs and Organized Crime, intervened:["Bloody Monday", pages 44–46.]
:"I know they were ULIMO because they talked about how they had been looking for me a long time, because I had opposed them in Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
. They wore gris-gris
''Gris-Gris'' (stylized as GRIS-gris) is the debut album by American musician Dr. John ( Mac Rebennack). Produced by Harold Battiste, it was released on Atco Records in 1968. The album introduced Rebennack's Dr. John character, inspired by a repu ...
around their necks. They were on drugs, and stank of alcohol. They demanded my cell phone, money, and jacket. Then they beat me on the head, hands, and shoulders. The two began to argue back and forth how they should kill me—one said, "Let's shoot him," and the other said, "No, let's cut his throat." They spoke to me in French, but it was bad French. What saved me is that at that moment the gendarme Tiégboro arrived. They were getting ready to kill me, those ULIMO, but I was saved by Tiégboro, who told them, "Leave Mr. Doré."[
Doré, while continuing to endure beatings from members of the Presidential Guard, was taken to a car by Tiégboro and driven away, along with the other opposition leaders, who had also been beaten. They were first taken to a clinic, but then moved to the gendarme headquarters when another commander threatened to kill them at the clinic. After a few hours, Doré and the other opposition leaders were taken to another clinic on Camara's orders. In the evening, a government delegation went to the clinic, apologized to the opposition leaders, and told them they were free to leave.][
Also on the evening of 28 September, while Doré was still at the clinic, his house was ransacked by soldiers, along with the homes of two other opposition leaders. Finding that Doré was not present, the soldiers looted the house of all its valuable possessions and vandalized it. Doré later said that he believed the attacks on the homes of the opposition leaders were intended "to kill us, ... to finish us off".
]
Transition
Camara was shot and wounded during a leadership dispute in December 2009, and Sékouba Konaté
General Sékouba Konaté ( nqo, ߛߋߞߎߓߊ ߞߏ߬ߣߊ߬ߕߋ; born 6 June 1964) is an officer of the Guinean army who formerly served as the vice president of its military junta, the National Council for Democracy and Development. After attend ...
then took his place in an acting capacity. Konaté said that the opposition could choose a new Prime Minister to serve in the period leading up to a new election. On 15 January 2010, the FFV proposed two candidates for the post, Doré and the key union leader Rabiatou Serah Diallo, telling Konaté to choose between them.[ Konaté's spokesman said that Doré and Diallo would need to travel to ]Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural, and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 2,415,266 in 2019. The city's n ...
for talks with Konaté, the recovering Camara, and Burkinabé President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré (born 3 February 1951)''Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders'' (2003), page 76–77. , who was acting as mediator. There was reportedly a split in the FFV regarding its choice, with political parties supporting Doré while the unions and civil society groups backed Diallo.["Guinea chooses interim prime minister"]
AFP, 18 January 2010.["Guinea junta 'names civilian Dore as prime minister'"]
BBC News, 19 January 2010. Each candidate reportedly received 94 votes.[ Later, on 18 January, it was reported that the FFV had selected Doré as its sole candidate for the post of Prime Minister. The fact that Doré held a university degree was reportedly the deciding factor, although Diallo's union supporters were unhappy with the outcome.][
On 19 January 2010, the junta announced its designation of Doré as Prime Minister, while citing "his experience ndhis knowledge of Guinean politics".][ He was to lead a 30-member government over the course of a six-month transitional period, which was to conclude with an election;][ Doré emphasized that the essential purpose of his government would be "to make the election a fair election". Doré's government was to be composed of ten ministers representing the opposition, ten representing the CNDD, and ten representing the various regions of Guinea.][
Doré was officially appointed as Prime Minister on 21 January 2010. In the days that followed, two commissions—one representing the FFV and one representing the CNDD—were formed as part of negotiations between the two sides aimed at determining the composition of Doré's government. Doré officially took office as Prime Minister on 26 January 2010,][Boubacar Diallo and Rukmini Callimachi]
"Amid worry, Guinea begins transition to democracy"
Associated Press, 26 January 2010. succeeding . He said on the occasion that he was "committed to leading Guinea toward free, credible and transparent elections".[
The process of determining the composition of the new government proved time-consuming, as the various political elements struggled to obtain ministerial posts. Doré consequently faced some criticism for not acting quickly enough. Some also expressed concern regarding the possibility that Doré might stand as a presidential candidate; his own statements on that possibility were unclear.][Saliou Samb and Mark John]
"Government wrangling delays Guinea power transition"
Reuters, 3 February 2010. Doré stressed that forming a government was difficult when he had to satisfy so many different elements and that it would "take some time".[ Speaking at a press conference on 2 February, he said that a rushed process would produce "an indigestible dish". He also explained that Konaté had told him to choose ministers who met "three criteria: competence, not being under international sanctions, and taking into account ethnic balance".
Doré's government, composed of 34 members, was eventually appointed on 15 February 2010. As planned, portfolios were allotted to members of both the CNDD and the FFV. The key junta officials Mamadou Toto Camara and Siba Lolamou notably retained their portfolios (security and justice, respectively).
After ]Alpha Condé
Alpha Condé (N'Ko: ; born 4 March 1938) is a Guinean politician who served as the fourth president of Guinea from 2010 to 2021.
Condé spent decades in opposition to a succession of regimes in Guinea, unsuccessfully running against President La ...
won the presidential election in a controversial and hotly contested second round of voting, he took office as President of Guinea on 21 December 2010. Doré then presented his government's resignation to Condé, who accepted it on 22 December. Condé offered warm praise for Doré's government, saying that it had done an excellent job of paving the way for a free and fair election and facilitating a largely peaceful transfer of power
A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly-elected leadership. This may be after elections or during t ...
.
In the September 2013 parliamentary election, Doré was elected to the National Assembly. As the oldest deputy (''doyen d’âge'') in the National Assembly, Doré presided over the election of the President of the National Assembly on 13 January 2014.
Doré died in the early hours of 29 January 2016 in Conakry from natural causes.[Claire Rainfroy]
"Guinée : décès de l’ancien Premier ministre Jean-Marie Doré"
''Jeune Afrique'', 29 January 2016 .
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dore, Jean-Marie
1938 births
2016 deaths
Prime Ministers of Guinea
Members of the National Assembly (Guinea)
Union for the Progress of Guinea politicians
People from Nzérékoré Region
21st-century Guinean politicians