Justin Koumba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Justin Koumba (born April 5, 1947[1]) is a politician of the Republic of the Congo. Since September 2007, he has been the President of the National Assembly.[2]

Koumba was born in Gango in Kibangou District.[1] He worked as an official at the United Nations beginning in 1976.[1][3] During the transition to multiparty elections from 1991 to 1992, he served in the transitional government headed by Prime Minister Andre Milongo as Minister of National Education.[2] Subsequently he returned to the UN and became UNESCO's representative for Central Africa and the Great Lakes countries.[1][3]

Following President Denis Sassou Nguesso's return to power following a civil war in 1997, Koumba became President of the National Transitional Council (CNT), the provisional parliament,[1][2][3][4] which was established in January 1998; he served in that position until August 2002, when the CNT was replaced by a newly elected National Assembly.[5]

Koumba was the President of the Alliance for Congo (l'Alliance pour le Congo, APC), which was established in 2001 and supported Sassou Nguesso.[6] He was elected to the National Assembly in the first round of the 2002 parliamentary election, held in May; he was a candidate of the APC from Banda constituency in Niari Region, and he received 58.70% of the vote.[7] On August 13, 2003, he was one of 45 members of the National Commission of Human Rights appointed by Sassou Nguesso, and on September 2, 2003 he was elected by the Commission as its President.[8]

On May 26, 2007, the APC announced its merger with the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) of Sassou Nguesso.[6] Koumba stood in the 2007 parliamentary election as a candidate of the PCT[2][3][4] and was re-elected to the National Assembly from Banda constituency,[1][3][4][9] receiving 94% of the vote.[1] At the opening session of the new National Assembly on September 4, 2007, he was elected as the President of the National Assembly.[1][2][4] He was the only candidate[2] and received 121 votes from the 129 deputies participating in the vote.[2][4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Willy Mbossa and Roger Ngombé, "Qui sont les nouveaux membres du bureau de l'Assemblée nationale ?", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, September 8, 2007 (French).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Election du nouveau président de l'Assemblée nationale", Panapress (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 (French).
  3. ^ a b c d e Willy Mbossa, "Portrait. Qui est Justin Koumba ?", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, September 4, 2007 (French).
  4. ^ a b c d e "La nouvelle Assemblée nationale entre en fonction", Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 (French).
  5. ^ "Clôture de la 14e session ordinaire du Conseil national de transition et fin de la législature", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, August 7, 2002 (French).
  6. ^ a b "L'Alliance pour le Congo fusionne avec le Parti congolais du travail", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, May 26, 2007 (French).
  7. ^ "Elections législatives : les 51 élus du premier tour", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, June 5, 2002 (French).
  8. ^ "Justin Koumba élu à la tête du bureau national de la commission des droits de l’homme", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, September 3, 2003 (French).
  9. ^ "La liste complète des députés", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, August 11, 2007 (French).

[edit] External links