Landing Savané

Landing Savané (born January 10 1945 [http://apanews.net/article.php3?id_article=20405 "Elu président du Sénégal, Landing Savané misera sur un taux de croissance à deux chiffres"] , African Press Agency, February 4, 2007 fr.] ) is a Senegalese politician and the secretary-general of And-Jëf/African Party for Democracy and Socialism. [http://www.apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=14674 "Un allié de Me Wade candidat à la présidentielle de février 2007"] , African Press Agency, November 13, 2006 fr.]

Savané is from Casamance, in the south of Senegal; he was born in Bignona. [http://web.archive.org/web/20040619003654/www.gouv.sn/ministeres/mia/ministre.html Government page for Savané] from 2004 fr.] He was a prominent figure in the radical student movement of the 1960s and a member of the underground communist African Independence Party (PAI). In 1965 Savané revolted against the PAI leadership and formed a separate Senegalese Communist Party. This split led to the dismantling of the Dakar cell of PAI. Savané's new party aligned with China. The Senegalese Communist Party did not last long, but Savané continued his political activity in other movements. Initially Savané and his followers regrouped as Democratic Youth. In 1970 Savané founded the Movement of Young Marxist-Leninists (MJML). After the dismantling of MJML, Savané formed the underground Marxist group "Reenu-Rew" (Roots of the Nation) in 1973. "Reenu-Rew" gave birth to "And-Jëf" (Act together) in 1974. Savané was jailed in 1975, but released in 1976. In 1981 And-Jëf was able to register itself as a legal political party. As the leader of And-Jëf, Savané was one of the most prominent opposition leaders in the country. [Zuccarelli, François. "La vie politique sénégalaise (1940-1988)". Paris: CHEAM, 1988]

He unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988 and 1993, [http://africanelections.tripod.com/sn.html Elections in Senegal] , African Elections Database.] taking 0.25% of the vote (fourth place) in 1988 and 2.91% (third place) in 1993. Savané was a deputy in the National Assembly from 1993 to 2000. During the Presidency of Abdou Diouf, from 1981 to 2000, Savané never took part in the government, [ [http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Newsletters/irinw_52198.html "Senegal: IRIN-WA Special Briefing on Elections in Senegal, 98.5.21"] .] and And-Jëf was the only major opposition group to consistently refuse to participate in the government. ["Political Parties of the World" (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 511.] He supported Abdoulaye Wade in the 2000 presidential election, [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=20635 "Landing Savane to end his alliance with President Wade after the polls"] , African Press Agency, February 7, 2007.] and after Wade's victory Savané was made Minister of Mines, Crafts and Industry in the new government in April 2000. In May 2001 he was removed from responsibility for mines, but remained Minister of Crafts and Industry; in November 2002 he gained the rank of Minister of State, while remaining in charge of crafts and industry.Madior Fall, [http://www.seneweb.com/news/article/8393.php "LANDING SAVANE : Pour un « folli » alternatif"] , SudQuotidien (Seneweb.com), February 6, 2007 fr.] He remained in this position until May 2005, when he became Minister of State near the President instead. [ [http://www.french.xinhuanet.com/french/2005-05/20/content_117161.htm "Sénégal : léger remaniement du gouvernement"] , Xinhua, May 20, 2005 fr.]

On November 12 2006, Savané was invested as his party's candidate for the presidential election of February 25 2007. Despite running against Wade, the incumbent president, Savané retained his position as Minister of State near the President following a cabinet reshuffle on November 23. [http://www.apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=15455 "New Senegalese cabinet following Thursday’s reshuffle"] , African Press Agency, November 24, 2006.] In early February 2007 Savané announced that he and his party would end their alliance with Wade regardless of who won the election. In the election, Savané took seventh place with 2.07% of the vote. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=9107 "Le texte intégral de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel"] , Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (Seneweb.com), March 11, 2007 fr.] He and the other AJ/PADS ministers resigned from the government on February 27. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/elections2007/article.php?artid=8871 "Landing Savané et ses ministres démissionnent du gouvernement"] , Nettali (Seneweb.com), February 27, 2007 fr.]

Savané was one of three candidates of the coalition And Defaar Sénégal to be elected to the National Assembly in the June 2007 parliamentary election, winning a seat through national list proportional representation. [ [http://www.seneweb.com/news/article/10765.php "Le Conseil constitutionnel confirme définitivement la large victoire de la Coalition Sopi"] , "Le Soleil" (Seneweb.com), June 15, 2007 fr.] The coalition, which includes AJ/PADS, had backed Savané in the presidential election and chose not to participate in an opposition boycott of the parliamentary election. [ [http://apanews.net/spip.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=25041 "Party coalition unveils bid for parliamentary polls in Senegal"] , African Press Agency, April 5, 2007.]

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