Progressive Sudanese Party

Progressive Sudanese Party ( _fr. Parti soudanais progressiste) was a political party in French Soudan (now Mali). The party was led by Fily Dabo Sissoko. Politically it represented a conservative traditionalist position, and drew support from traditional chiefs. [http://www.questia.com/read/6869870?title=Mali%2c%20Republic%20Of] It was founded in December 1945 by Sissoko, son of a canton chief, and Hamadoun Dicko, a former canton chief. The party sought gradual independence from France, seeking to preserve the influence of traditional elites.Martin, Guy. " [http://www.jstor.org/stable/483923 Socialism, Economic Development and Planning in Mali, 1960-1968] ", published in "Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue Canadienne des Études Africaines", Vol. 10, No. 1 (1976), pp. 23-46]

In the 1946 election the party won two of three Sudanese seats in the French National Assembly. [http://www.questia.com/read/6869870?title=Mali%2c%20Republic%20Of] Sissoko and Jean Silvandre were elected. In total list of the party obtained 60 759 votes (64%). After the election, the PSP parliamentarians joined the SFIO parliamentary group.http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/biographies/IVRepublique/Sissoko-Fily-Dabo-01011900.asp]

In the 1951 French election, the party won all three seats from Sudan. Sissoko, Dicko and Silvandre were elected. The list of the party got 201 866 votes (59.7%).

The party obtained 161 911 votes in the January 1956 French election, coming second after the Sudanese Union-African Democratic Rally (US-RDA). In July the same year, a by-election was held after the death of Mamadou Konaté. PSP again finished second, with 88 719 votes.http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/biographies/IVRepublique/Bocoum-Barema-Kissourou-01011914.asp] Since January 1956 PSP had lost its role as a major actor in Sudanese politics.

In 1957 the party became the Sudanese section of the African Socialist Movement. [Fuglestad, Finn. " [http://www.jstor.org/stable/180451 Djibo Bakary, the French, and the Referendum of 1958 in Niger] ", published in "The Journal of African History", Vol. 14, No. 2 (1973), pp. 313-330]

In the latter period of the existence of the party, it was renamed the Sudanese Regroupment Party ("Parti du regroupement soudanais"). The party had increasingly difficult to act politically, as the US-RDA government in the territory blocked its ability to function normally. The French colonial authorities had withdrawn their support for the party, as they had begun considering good relations with the US-RDA as more useful. On March 31, 1959,Sissoko declared, on behalf of the PRS politburo, that the party was merging into US-RDA. his decision was the result of a three-day party conferene.

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