Djibo Leyti Kâ

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Djibo Leyti Kâ (born February 21, 1948[1]) is a Senegalese politician and the Secretary-General of the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD). He is currently serving in the government as Minister of State in charge of the Environment, the Protection of Nature, Retention Basins and Artificial Lakes.

During the presidency of Abdou Diouf, Kâ served as Minister of Communications from January 1981 to April 1988,[2] Minister of Planning and Cooperation from 1988 to 1990, and Minister of Education from 1990 to 1991.[3] On April 8, 1991 he became Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving in that position until June 1, 1993;[4] he then became Minister of the Interior, serving in that position until March 1995, when he was dismissed.[5] Later, Kâ formed the Renewal Movement within the ruling Socialist Party (PS) to seek reforms in the party, a move that seriously divided the PS in late 1997.[6] The PS steering committee rejected the formation of the Movement, and President Diouf expressed agreement with its decision.[7] Subsequently, on November 19, 1997, Kâ and ten other leading members of the Movement were suspended from the PS by its Political Bureau for three months.[8][9] Kâ and his supporters were publicly denounced by the party in March 1998 and resigned from the party in early April 1998.[10] The newly formed Union for Democratic Renewal won eleven seats and about 13% of the vote in the May 1998 parliamentary election.[11]

Kâ ran as the URD candidate in the February 2000 presidential election, coming in fourth place with about 7.1% of the vote.[11] He initially supported the opposition candidate, Abdoulaye Wade, for the second round, but then switched his support to Diouf a few days before the second round was held, following a televised appeal from Diouf for Kâ's support. There was speculation that Diouf would make Kâ prime minister if he was re-elected,[12] but Wade won the run-off on March 19.[11]

In the April 2001 parliamentary election, Kâ was elected to the National Assembly as an URD candidate through national list proportional representation.[13] Under Wade, he was named Minister of State in charge of Maritime Economy and International Maritime Transport on April 21, 2004.[14] He and the URD supported Wade's bid for re-election in the February 2007 presidential election, and Kâ claimed that his party made a decisive contribution to Wade's victory in the first round.[15]

On July 5, 2007, Kâ's ministerial portfolio was changed from Maritime Economy and International Maritime Transport to the Environment, the Protection of Nature, Retention Basins and Artificial Lakes; he remained a Minister of State.[16] On August 8, 2007, Kâ, speaking in the National Assembly, urged the creation of an African coalition to work against the effects of rising sea levels caused by global warming.[17]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Francis Kpatindé, "Où s'arrêtera Djibo Ka ?", Jeuneafrique.com, June 1, 1999 (French).
  2. ^ List of past ministers, Senegalese Information Ministry web site.
  3. ^ Rulers.org biography.
  4. ^ Past foreign ministers of Senegal (click images for dates in office), Senegalese Foreign Ministry web site.
  5. ^ "Mar 1995 - New Senegal Cabinet", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 41, March, 1995 Senegal, Page 40443.
  6. ^ "Senegal: Renewal Movement demands reforms within Socialist Party", Africa No 1 radio (nl.newsbank.com), October 20, 1997.
  7. ^ "Senegal: President Diouf endorses ruling party's decision on splinter movement", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), November 9, 1997.
  8. ^ "Senegalese Socialist Party suspends new movement members", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), November 20, 1997.
  9. ^ "Senegal: Socialist Party dissidents threatened with expulsion, meet press", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), November 21, 1997.
  10. ^ "Senegalese dissidents quit ruling party", BBC News, April 2, 1998.
  11. ^ a b c Elections in Senegal, African Elections Database.
  12. ^ "Opposition support for Senegal's president", BBC News, March 14, 2000.
  13. ^ List of deputies elected in the 2001 election (2003 archive page), gouv.sn (French).
  14. ^ List of Senegalese government ministers (2004 archive page), Press-francophone.org (French).
  15. ^ "L’apport de l’Urd a été décisif", Nettali, February 27, 2007 (French).
  16. ^ "DECRET N°2007-834 du 05-07-2007 mettant fin aux fonctions de ministres, nommant de nouveaux ministres et fixant la composition du gouvernement", Senegalese government website (French).
  17. ^ "Senegalese minister calls for “continental coalition” to combat coastal erosion", African Press Agency, August 9, 2007.
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