André Obami Itou

André Obami Itou (born 1940[1][2]) is a Congolese politician. He has been a leading figure in the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) since the 1970s, and he has been the President of the Senate of Congo-Brazzaville since 2007.

Political career

Obami Itou was born at Epouélé, Gamboma, located in Plateaux Region. He was a founding member of the PCT in December 1969, and he was first councillor at the Congolese embassy in Algeria from 1969 to 1971. He became government commissioner, or prefect, of Bouenza Region in 1971,[1] and he joined the PCT Central Committee in 1972; he remained on the Central Committee throughout the PCT's single-party rule.[3] He was the Director-General of the Kinsoundi textile factory from 1973 to 1974, an ambassador from 1975 to 1976,[1][2] and Director-General of the national oil refinery from 1976 to 1978.[1][2][4] In 1979, he briefly served as Mayor of Brazzaville, the capital;[5] subsequently he was political commissioner of the Pool Region from 1980 to 1984.[1][2]

At the PCT's Third Ordinary Congress, held on 27–31 July 1984, Obami Itou was elected as President of the PCT Control and Verification Commission.[3][6] He remained in that post until July 1987,[7] when he was instead designated as Secretary of the PCT Central Committee in charge of Organization. Obami Itou was elected to the PCT Political Bureau in 1989 and assigned responsibility for foreign relations.[3] In mid-1990, he was included as one of five members of the Secretariat of the PCT Central Committee, in charge of foreign relations.[8] Later, he was appointed as the Administrator-Delegate of Hydro-Congo, the country's oil exploration and exploitation company, on December 31, 1999;[9] he held that position until 2002.[2][4]

Obami Itou was elected to the Senate from Plateaux Region in July 2002;[10] in the same year, he also headed the PCT's candidate list for Gamboma in the local election for the Regional Council.[11] On August 23, 2002, he was elected by the Senate as President of the Commission on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Development Cooperation.[12] When the Pan-African Parliament began meeting in March 2004, Itou became one of Congo's five members.[13]

Ambroise Noumazalaye, the President of the Senate, died on November 17, 2007, and Obami Itou was elected to succeed him on December 1, 2007[1][2][4] to serve out the remainder of his term, ending in July 2008.[4] Standing as a candidate of the Rally for a Presidential Majority (RMP), he was re-elected as a Senator from Plateaux Region in the August 2008 Senate election with the unanimous support of the 61 electors in Plateaux.[14] Obami Itou was then re-elected as President of the Senate on August 12, 2008.[15] Obami Itou remains a member of the PCT Political Bureau as of 2007,[1][2] and he remains the PCT's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Relations as of 2008.[16]

Following the October 2011 Senate election, Obami Itou was re-elected as President of the Senate on 24 October 2011, receiving 67 out of 69 votes.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Congo Brazzaville : André Obami Itou succède à Ambroise Noumazalay au Sénat", Kimpwanza (congoplus.info), December 5, 2007 (French).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "André Obami Itou élu nouveau président du Sénat", Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), December 1, 2007 (French).
  3. ^ a b c Rémy Bazenguissa-Ganga, Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique (1997), Karthala Editions, page 443 (French).
  4. ^ a b c d Cyr Armel Yabbat-Ngo, "André Obami Itou succède à Ambroise Edouard Noumazalay", Le Semaine Africaine, N° 2749, December 4, 2007, pages 2 and 4 (French).
  5. ^ "126e anniversaire de Brazzaville. L'organisation administrative de la capitale", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, September 28, 2006 (French).
  6. ^ "Third Congolese Party Congress Issues Statement", Mweti, 1 August 1984, pages 4–6.
  7. ^ African Contemporary Record, volume 20 (1989), page B-203.
  8. ^ Bazenguissa-Ganga, Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique, page 336 (French).
  9. ^ "Décret n°:99-273 du 31 December 1999 portant nomination des membres du conseil d'administration de la société nationale de recherche et d'exploitation pétrolières, Hydro-Congo", Presidency of Congo-Brazzaville, 31 December 1999 (French).
  10. ^ "Elections sénatoriales : les résultats officiels rendus publics à Brazzaville", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, July 13, 2002 (French).
  11. ^ "Elections locales : André Obami Itou (PCT) invite la population de Gamboma à élire des gens expérimentés au conseil régional", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, June 26, 2002 (French).
  12. ^ "Sénat: mise en place des bureaux des commissions permanentes", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, August 27, 2002 (French).
  13. ^ List of members of the Pan-African Parliament (as of March 15, 2004), African Union website.
  14. ^ "Résultats des élections sénatoriales dans sept départements", La Semaine Africaine, number 2,815, 8 August 2008, page 3 (French).
  15. ^ "Renouvellement du bureau du Sénat : Vincent Ganga et Dominique Lekoyi montent au perchoir", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, August 12, 2008 (French).
  16. ^ "Le président du Congo reçoit un haut responsable du Parti communiste chinois", Xinhua, February 21, 2008 (French).
  17. ^ Parfait Wilfried Douniama, "Sénat : une nouvelle femme fait son entrée au bureau en qualité de deuxième vice-présidente", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 24 October 2011 (French).