François Ibovi

François Ibovi (born 1954 [http://web.archive.org/web/20050322101826/www.congo-site.net/v4x/instit/gouvernement/mimigeo.php Short official biography] fr icon.] ) is Congolese politician. He was a minister in the government from 1997 to 2007 and has been First Vice-President of the National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo since 2007.

Ibovi was born in Edou, located in the Oyo District of Cuvette Region, in the north of the country; Edou is also the birthplace of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. He studied journalism in the Soviet Union in the 1970s; after returning, he became a leader of the Union of Congolese Socialist Youth and joined the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in 1977. He worked on national television during the 1980s, and he was first elected to the National Assembly in the 1992 parliamentary election as a candidate in Oyo constituency.Philippe Perdrix, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN15055franoivobis0 "François Ibovi"] , Jeuneafrique.com, May 15, 2005 fr icon.]

During the 1997 civil war, Ibovi was a spokesman for Sassou Nguesso. ["African leader and rival agree to halt clashes", "The Deseret News" (nl.newsbank.com), July 6, 1997.] After Sassou Nguesso returned to power in late 1997, Ibovi became Minister of Communication in charge of relations with Parliament and government spokesman, serving in that position for five years. When rebels loyal to Bernard Kolelas attempted to seize Brazzaville, the capital, in December 1998, Ibovi denied Kolelas' claim that his forces were effectively in control of the city, saying that Kolelas was delusional and that the army had the upper hand. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/238912.stm "Congo government denies rebels hold Brazzaville"] , BBC News, December 20, 1998.]

Ibovi was elected to the National Assembly as a PCT candidate from Oyo constituency in the first round of the 2002 parliamentary election, held in May, receiving 100% of the vote. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=936&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=60&select_month=06&select_year=2002 "Elections législatives : les 51 élus du premier tour"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", June 5, 2002 fr icon.] He remained in the government after the election; on August 18, 2002, he was appointed as Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, in which position he remained for over five years. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027lgerrtnemen0 "Léger remaniement du gouvernement"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), December 31, 2007 fr icon.]

Criticism of problems in the conduct of the first round of the 2007 parliamentary election, held in June, led Ibovi to suspend the Director General for Electoral Affairs, Armand Baboutila, on June 28 for alleged negligence in the handling of the election; [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=37687 "Congo: un opposant demande l'annulation du premier tour des législatives"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), June 29, 2007 fr icon.] [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=136&art_id=nw20070628154832466C296557 "Top election chief sacked after poll chaos"] , AFP ("IOL"), June 28, 2007.] he appointed Gaston Ololo in Baboutila's place for the second round of the election. Hervé Ambroise Malonga, acting as spokesman for parties calling for a boycott of the election, said that higher level officials should take responsibility and called for the resignation of Ibovi and the president of the electoral commission.

Ibovi was again elected to the National Assembly as a PCT candidate from Oyo constituency in the 2007 parliamentary election. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=17753&oldaction=textes&regpay_id=0&cat_id=&ss_cat_id=&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=08&select_year=2007 "La liste complète des députés"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 11, 2007 fr icon.] When the National Assembly opened on September 4, 2007, Ibovi was elected as its First Vice-President. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027lanounoitcn0 "La nouvelle Assemblée nationale entre en fonction"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 fr icon.] [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=PAN70027electelanoi0 "Election du nouveau président de l'Assemblée nationale"] , Panapress (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 fr icon.] Having been elected to that post, he was eventually replaced as Minister of Territorial Administration by Raymond Mboulou in the government named on December 30, 2007. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=19960&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=12&select_year=2007 "Le président Denis Sassou N'Guesso remanie légèrement son gouvernement"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", December 30, 2007 fr icon.]

He is a member of the Political Bureau of the PCT. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=11793&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Sangha : la restructuration des organes de base du PCT se poursuit"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", April 5, 2006 fr icon.]

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