Martinho Ndafa Kabi
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| Martinho Ndafa Kabi | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 April 2007 |
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| President | João Bernardo Vieira |
| Preceded by | Aristides Gomes |
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| Born | 17 September 1957 |
| Political party | PAIGC |
Martinho Ndafa Kabi (born September 17, 1957[1]) has been the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau since 13 April 2007.[2] He is a leading member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).[1]
Kabi, a member of the Balanta ethnic group,[3] was born in Nhacra in Oio Region. He joined PAIGC in March 1974 and was a delegate to PAIGC's First Extraordinary Congress (November 1981), Second Extraordinary Congress (January 1991), Fifth Ordinary Congress (December 1991), Sixth Ordinary Congress (May 1998), Third Extraordinary Congress (September 1999), and its Fourth Extraordinary Congress (January-February 2002). He was elected as President of the National Commission of Verification and Control at the Third Extraordinary Congress in 1999 and as the Third Vice-President of PAIGC at the Fourth Extraordinary Congress in 2002.[1] Kabi is considered a PAIGC hardliner.[3]
In the government of Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Júnior, he served as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources from May 2004[4] to April 2005, when he became Minister of Defense;[3] he held the latter post until the government of Prime Minister Aristides Gomes took office in November 2005.[citation needed] After Aristides Gomes lost a no-confidence vote and submitted his resignation in March 2007, Kabi was proposed as Prime Minister by a coalition composed of the PAIGC, the Social Renewal Party (PRS), and the United Social Democratic Party (PUSD). On April 9, it was announced that President João Bernardo Vieira had rejected the choice of Kabi, but the coalition said that they maintained him as their choice;[5] later on the same day, Vieira appointed Kabi as the new Prime Minister.[6] He took office on April 13,[2] and his government, composed of 20 ministers (including eight from the PAIGC, eight from the PRS, and two from the PUSD) was named on April 17.[7]
PAIGC withdrew its backing for Kabi on February 29, 2008, saying that this was done "to avoid acts of indiscipline threatening cohesion and unity in the party".[8]
As Prime Minister, Kabi has been involved in a long dispute with the President of the Tribunal of Accounts, Francisco Fadul.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Profile on PAIGC website (in Portuguese).
- ^ a b "Martinho Ndafa Kabi takes office as Guinea Bissau PM", Xinhua (People's Daily Online), April 14, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Nino Vieira says he will contest presidential election", IRIN, April 18, 2005.
- ^ "Novo Governo: um misto de surpresas", Guine-Bissau.com, May 13, 2004 (in Portuguese).
- ^ "Bissau president rejects candidate for PM", Reuters (IOL), April 10, 2007.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau appoints consensus premier", Reuters (IOL), April 10, 2007.
- ^ Alberto Dabo, "Guinea-Bissau's new government named", Reuters (IOL), April 18, 2007.
- ^ Alberto Dabo, "Guinea-Bissau opposition withdraws support for PM", Reuters, March 1, 2008.
- ^ "Guinea's state auditor threatens to sue prime minister", African Press Agency, May 21, 2008.
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