Ousmane Tanor Dieng
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Ousmane Tanor Dieng (born 1948) is the First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal. He has been vice-president of the Socialist International since 1996.
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[edit] Personal life
[edit] Background and early life
Born in 1948 in Ngueniéne, Senegal, Dieng attended Koranic school from the age of three until he was seven. He belongs to the "Sérére" ethnic group which constitutes 15 per cent of the Senegalese population.
He began primary school in 1955, in Ngueniene. In 1961, he went to St. Louis to make his secondary education to the secondary school Andre PEYTAVIN, and it is afterward that he came to the secondary school Maurice DELAFOSSE in Dakar to continue his secondary education which drives him to the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar where he made law studies with as option International Relations. And after obtaining his diploma of Public law, he had a diploma of High studies of political sciences and Constitutional law. Later he entered Ecole Nationale d’Administration et de Magistrature (ENAM). At that moment people entered there not by competition (as it is the case today) but entered there directly because there were not enough pretenders. And he made the 2 years of studies necessary for ENAM where he chose as option diplomacy.[1]
[edit] Administrative career
[edit] Foreign Office
In 1976, he finished his studies in ENAM and was allocated to the foreign office where he occupied various functions and he stayed there until 1978. There, he was in charge of the international affairs (division Africa and UNO) from 1976 to 1978.
[edit] Presidency
In October 1978, he was chosen as the diplomatic advisor of Leopold Sedar Senghor (President of the Republic at that time) who was looking for an international who knows how to write. And it was a privilege for Ousmane Tanor Dieng to work with Senghor; because Senghor was one of his idol. And it was impressive for him to meet Senghor, with all that he represents on the scientific and literary plan. In January, 1981, Abdou Diouf (the former President of Senegal) became president thanks to the article 35 of the Senegalese constitution; and since Ousmane Tanor Dieng stayed in the presidency as the diplomatic advisor of Abdou Diouf from 1981 till 1988. From 1988, he became his Director of departmental staff until 1993. And in 1993 he was appointed minister charged of the presidential services and affairs and this until 2000.
[edit] Political career
[edit] General Secretary of Coordination
Parallel to this administrative career, he had a political career. Since 1988, he is interested in the political questions because he was in charge of making for the President messages and deliveries; thus he was interested in politics and on the way, he put a lot at the base into his village. And he had had to be General Secretary of coordination in the authorities of the party.
[edit] First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal
Then he is eventually chosen by the President Abdou Diouf to be the First Secretary of the Socialist Party of Senegal. So he is responsible to manage the party to the every day life and being Secretary of the Party, he led the list for the general elections and was elected Representative. But he had to resign because the function of Minister was incompatible with the function of Representative.
[edit] The Socialist Party of Senegal
The creation in 1958 of the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS), the ancestor of the Socialist Party (PS), was the outcome of series of fusions and reunifications which gave birth successively to the Senegalese Democratic Block (BDS) in 1948, then the Senegalese Popular Block (BPS), and then the UPS. The official recognition of the UPS came on 6 September 1959.
In December 1976, UPS changed its name to become the Socialist Party, a name more corresponding to its ideological orientation of democratic socialism.
The Socialist Party of Senegal was first led by Leopold Sedar Senghor. It ruled the country from independence in 1960 until 2000. Though criticized by many, it has one of the best assessments of Africa.[citation needed] The Presidential elections were all won by the Socialist Party until 2000, when they lost to the Senegalese Democratic Party, led by Abdoulaye Wade.[2]
Since 2000 the Socialist Party has been in the opposition. Dieng is the leader of their parliamentary group in the National Assembly. The Socialist Party is associated with other parties of the opposition, and works with them to construct lists in local elections, and also a common program for the next Presidential elections.
[edit] The Socialist International and African integration
The Socialist International encourages international participation in conflict resolution in Africa, as well as promoting and strengthening democracy in the continent. It also favors African integration.[3]
Currently a vice-president of the Socialist International, Dieng thinks that without integration, Africa has no future. He believes Africa has to become integrated, or else it will perish. Although integration is difficult, Dieng seems optimistic, and has been encouraged by the theory of "the concentrated circles", an idea of Leopold Sedar Senghor. In a sense, he feels that Africans have no choice on the question of integration.
[edit] 2007 Presidential Elections
Dieng ran for President of Senegal in the February 2007 election. His platform included:
- Promoting good governance.
- Fighting against corruption, embezzlement and bribery.
- Recenting the power of institutions.
- Returning to a parliamentary regime where the seat of the powers will be the National Assembly.
- Working for the independence of the judiciary.
- Promoting and protecting agriculture, which employs 65% of the Senegalese population.
In a sense he campaigned for changes to the economic, political, institutional, cultural and social structure, with the goal of reducing the rate of unemployment in Senegal.
Dieng came in third place in the election with 13.56% of the vote, behind the winner, incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade, and Idrissa Seck. Claiming irregularities, Dieng filed an appeal regarding the election with the Constitutional Council, but it was rejected.[4] Shortly after the election, Wade mentioned Dieng as one of several opposition leaders who would be facing prosecution for alleged corruption. Dieng was accused of illegally selling fishing licenses in 1992.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Partisocialiste. (2006). Le parti en bref. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
- ^ International Socialiste. (2003). Declaration de Cotonou. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
- ^ "Le texte intégral de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel", Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (Seneweb.com), March 11, 2007 (French).
- ^ "Senegal President goes after opposition leaders", afrol News, March 2, 2007.
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