José Mário Vaz (born 10 December 1957) is a Bissau-Guinean politician who served as
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...
from 23 June 2014 to 27 February 2020.
Life and career
Popularly known by the nickname "Jomav," José Mário Vaz was born in 1957 to Mário Vaz and Amelia Gomes in Calequisse, outside the city of
Cacheu
Cacheu is a town in northwestern Guinea-Bissau, lying on the Cacheu River. Its population was estimated to be 9,849 .
History and landmarks
The town of Cacheu is situated in territory of the Papel people. The name is of Bainuk origin: "i.e. ''C ...
in northern Guinea-Bissau. He is married and has three children. He graduated as an economist in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and did an internship at the Office of Economic Studies of the
Banco de Portugal
The Banco de Portugal (English: Bank of Portugal) is the central bank of the Portuguese Republic. The bank was founded by royal charter in 1846, during the reign of Queen Maria II of Portugal, by a merger of the '' Banco de Lisboa'' (Bank of Lis ...
in 1982. In 2004, he was elected as mayor of
Bissau
Bissau () is the capital, and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. Bissau had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, and its administrative and m ...
, a position he held until 2009, when he was named by President
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá () (5 May 1947 – 9 January 2012) was a Guinea-Bissau politician who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 8 September 2009 until his death on 9 January 2012. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Ca ...
as minister of finance. He and the other ministers were ousted in the 2012 Guinea-Bissau coup d'etat.
Vaz is a member of the
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde ( pt, Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde, PAIGC) is a political party in Guinea-Bissau. Originally formed to peacefully campaign for independence from ...
and won the right to represent the party in the 2014 presidential election by besting eleven hopefuls during a two-day primary in March 2014.
In the first round of the election, held on 13 April 2014, Vaz won 40.9% of the votes, and entered a runoff with the second leading vote-getter,
Nuno Gomes Nabiam
Nuno Gomes Nabiam (born 17 November 1966) is a Bissau-Guinean politician who has been the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau since 28 February 2020. He is a political scientist and military officer who previously served as President of Guinea-Bissa ...
, who was backed by
the military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. In the second round, on 18 May 2014, he received 61.9% of the vote. Though Gomes Nabiam initially contested the result, he conceded the election on 22 May 2014.
During the election, Vaz promised to focus on reducing poverty and increasing investment in agriculture, as well as forgiveness for participation in the sorts of criminal activities that have turned Guinea-Bissau into a haven for drug traffickers. After the 2012 coup, he fled to
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, but returned in February 2013 and spent three days under arrest. He was accused of being involved in the disappearance of €9.1 million in aid donated to the country by
, a charge he denies, and it remains unclear if the donation was ever sent.
Vaz has the peculiarity of being the only president of Guinea-Bissau since independence to be able to finish his five-year term.
On June 27, 2019, four days after the end of his term, he was replaced by the president of the National People's Assembly,
Cipriano Cassamá
Cipriano Cassamá (born 1959) is a politician in Guinea-Bissau and a member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). He was Minister of the Interior from August 2008November elections remained as acting president. On 29 June,
ECOWAS
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of , and in ...
decided that Vaz would stay in office until after the 2019 elections.
Vaz ran as an independent in the 2019 elections but received only 12% of the vote in the first round and failed to advance to the second round.
See also
*
Politics of Guinea-Bissau
The politics of Guinea-Bissau take place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system, wherein the President is head of state and the Prime Minister is head of government. Executive power is ...