Convergence for Social Democracy (Equatorial Guinea)

Last updated

Convergence for Social Democracy
Convergencia Para la Democracia Social
PresidentSantiago Obama Ndong
Secretary-General Andres Esono Ondo
Founded1990 (1990)
HeadquartersC/ Tres de Agosto, 72, 2º 1, Malabo
NewspaperLa Verdad
Ideology Social democracy
Democratic socialism
Political position Centre-left
International affiliation Socialist International
Progressive Alliance
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 100
Website
www.cpdsge.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Convergence for Social Democracy (Spanish: Convergencia para la Democracia Social, CPDS) is the opposition party in Equatorial Guinea. It was the only opposition party with parliamentary representation during 2013-2017.

Contents

Structure

The CPDS is headed by a president and a secretary-general, who are currently Santiago Obama Ndong and Andres Esono Ondo, respectively. The Secretary-General is defined as the leader of the party, while the President is assigned the role of a moderator. [1]

History

After operating clandestinely and publishing its newspaper La Verdad ("The Truth") in the early 1990s, the CPDS applied for legal recognition in November 1992 and was given legal recognition in February 1993. The party was led and founded by Secundino Oyono Edú-Aguong. The CPDS attributed this recognition to international pressure. [1]

In December 1994, the CPDS held its Constitutive Congress in Bata. The Congress chose Plácido Micó Abogo as Secretary-General at the head of an Executive Commission. The party held its Second National Congress in Bata in February 2001; Plácido Micó Abogo was again chosen as secretary-general. The Third National Congress, held in Bata in February 2005, again chose Plácido Micó Abogo as Secretary-General and elected a National Executive Commission. [1]

Plácido Micó Abogo was the only CPDS candidate to win a seat in the 1999 legislative election. [1] The party's candidate in the December 2002 presidential election was Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé, who withdrew from the election along with other opposition candidates due to alleged fraud and intimidation [2] [3] but remained on the ballot and won 2.2% of the vote; President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea won 97.1%.

In the April 2004 parliamentary election, the party won two seats in the 100-member Chamber of People's Representatives, with CPDS candidates Plácido Micó Abogo and Bacalé winning seats from Malabo. [1] In the May 2008 parliamentary election, it won one out of 100 seats; [4] [5] this seat was won by Plácido Micó Abogo. [5]

Although the Convergence is a legally recognized party, its members are regularly detained and/or tortured by police.[ citation needed ] The CPDS acquired a radio station in August 2008 and began broadcasting from it in September. The police raided the CPDS headquarters on 13 September 2008, searching for the party's radio transmitter, although the police reportedly failed to find the transmitter and only seized electoral campaign material. [6]

The CPDS is a full member of the Socialist International. [7]

Electoral history

Presidential elections

ElectionParty candidateVotes%Result
2002 Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé 4,5702.17%LostRed x.svg
2009 Plácido Micó Abogo 9,7003.57%LostRed x.svg
2016 Did not contest
2022 Andrés Esono Ondó9,6842.31%LostRed x.svg

Chamber of Deputies elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1999 Plácido Micó Abogo 9,7355.30%
1 / 80
Increase2.svg 1Increase2.svg 3rdOpposition
2004 12,2026.03%
2 / 100
Increase2.svg 1Steady2.svg 3rdOpposition
2008
1 / 100
Decrease2.svg 1Steady2.svg 3rdOpposition
2013 Andres Esono Ondo
1 / 100
Steady2.svgIncrease2.svg 2ndOpposition
2017 [lower-alpha 1] 2.23%
0 / 100
Decrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 3rdExtra-parliamentary
2022
0 / 100
Steady2.svg 0Extra-parliamentary
  1. Run as part of the Together We Can coalition (CPDS - UCD)

Senate elections

ElectionParty leaderVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
2013 Andres Esono Ondo
1 / 70
Increase2.svg 1Increase2.svg 2ndOpposition
2017 [lower-alpha 1] 2.23%
0 / 70
Decrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 3rdExtra-parliamentary
2022
0 / 70
Steady2.svg 0Extra-parliamentary
  1. Run as part of the Together We Can coalition (CPDS - UCD)

Notes

15 members of the Senate are appointed by the President

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equatorial Guinea</span> Country in Central Africa

Equatorial Guinea, also rarely known as Equatoguinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa, with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location near both the Equator and in the African region of Guinea. As of 2021, the country had a population of 1,468,777, over 85% of whom are members of the Fang people, the country's dominant ethnic group. The Bubi people, indigenous to Bioko are the second largest group at approximately 6.5% of the population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Equatorial Guinea</span>

The politics of Equatorial Guinea take place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President is both the head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Chamber of People's Representatives

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabo</span> Capital of Equatorial Guinea

Malabo is the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the province of Bioko Norte. It is located on the north coast of the island of Bioko. In 2018, the city had a population of approximately 297,000 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo</span> 2nd president of Equatorial Guinea (1979–present)

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is an Equatoguinean politician, and former military officer who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since 3 August 1979. He is the longest-serving president of any country ever and the second-longest consecutively-serving current non-royal national leader in the world.

Cándido Muatetema Rivas was a political figure in Equatorial Guinea who was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde</span> Political party in Guinea-Bissau

The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde is a political party in Guinea-Bissau. Originally formed to peacefully campaign for independence from Portugal, the party turned to armed conflict in the 1960s and was one of the belligerents in the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence. Towards the end of the war, the party established a socialist one-party state, which remained intact until multi-party democracy was introduced in the early 1990s. Although the party won the first multi-party elections in 1994, it was removed from power in the 1999–2000 elections. However, it returned to office after winning parliamentary elections in 2004 and presidential elections in 2005, since which it has remained the largest party in the National People's Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea</span> Ruling political party in Equatorial Guinea

The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea is the ruling political party in Equatorial Guinea. It was established by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on 11 October 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde</span> Political party in Cape Verde

The African Party of Independence of Cape Verde is a democratic socialist political party in Cape Verde. It was formerly a Marxist–Leninist communist party and the sole legal party in the country from 1981 to 1990. Its members are nicknamed "os tambarinas" in Portuguese, and they identify themselves with the color yellow.

The Party for Social Renewal is a political party in Guinea-Bissau. It is one of the country's leading parties and is currently the main opposition party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People</span> Political party in the Central African Republic

The Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People is a political party in the Central African Republic. It has been an observer member of the Socialist International since 2008, and is also a member of the Progressive Alliance.

Black Beach, located on the island of Bioko, in the capital city of Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, is one of Africa's most notorious prisons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Equatorial Guinean presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on 15 December 2002. Incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo easily won another term amidst an opposition boycott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Equatorial Guinean parliamentary election</span>

Early parliamentary elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on 4 May 2008, alongside local elections; 100 seats in parliament and 230 council seats were up for election. The ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea won 89 seats in parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Equatorial Guinean presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on November 29, 2009. Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has been President since 1979, ran for another term and won re-election with 95.8% of the vote, according to official results. Opposition leader Plácido Micó Abogo placed second with 3.6%. However, international observers and the main opposition candidate questioned the legitimacy of this election, noting the poor management which created an unfriendly field for other candidates to take part, media manipulation and the unbalanced results.

Celestino Bonifacio Bacale Obiang was an Equatoguinean politician. He was the Secretary of International Relations and Cooperation of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignacio Milam Tang</span> Equatoguinean politician

Ignacio Milam Tang is an Equatoguinean politician who was Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea from July 2008 to May 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE). From May 2012 to June 2016, he was First Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, serving alongside President Obiang's son, Teodorín.

Plácido Micó Abogo is an Equatoguinean politician. He has been the Secretary-General of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS), an opposition political party in Equatorial Guinea, since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Equatorial Guinean constitutional referendum</span>

A constitutional referendum was held in Equatorial Guinea on 13 November 2011. It allowed the incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to run for at least two more seven-year terms as well as establish the post of Vice-President, widely expected to be given to his son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue in preparation of dynastic succession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Equatorial Guinean presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on 24 April 2016. In a vote initially scheduled for November but brought forward by seven months, incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo retained his office with 93.7 percent of the vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Equatorial Guinean general election</span>

General elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on 20 November 2022 to elect the President and members of Parliament, alongside local elections. Originally the parliamentary elections had been scheduled for November 2022 and presidential elections for 2023. However, in September 2022 Parliament approved a proposal to merge the elections due to economic constraints.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Page at CPDS website (in Spanish).
  2. "'Landslide' in Equatorial Guinea", BBC News, 16 December 2002.
  3. Charles Cobb Jr., "Equatorial Guinea: Obiang Sure to Win As Opposition Quits Poll", allAfrica.com, 16 December 2002.
  4. "Guinée équatoriale: le parti présidentiel grand vainqueur des législatives" Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine , AFP, 9 May 2008.
  5. 1 2 "'Equatorial Guinea worse than Zim'", AFP (IOL), 11 July 2008.
  6. "Police raid Equatorial Guinea opposition headquarters: official" Archived 20 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine , AFP, 13 September 2008.
  7. List of Socialist International member parties, Socialist International website.