Rally for Democracy and Social Progress

The Rally for Democracy and Social Progress ("Rassemblement pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social") is a political party in the Republic of the Congo, founded and led by Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya.

Thystère Tchicaya founded the RDPS on October 29 1990 after splitting from another opposition group, the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP). [Patrice Yengo, "La guerre civile du Congo-Brazzaville, 1993-2002: "chacun aura sa part" (2006), KARTHALA Editions, page 62 fr icon.] The RDPS won nine seats in the June-July 1992 parliamentary election. [ [http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2071_92.htm IPU-PARLINE page on the 1992 parliamentary election] .]

Initially part of the National Alliance for Democracy (AND), a coalition of left-wing parties that supported Pascal Lissouba, the RDPS soon broke with the AND and joined the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD) opposition coalition, led by Bernard Kolélas. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=22788&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Le fait du jour - Isidore Mvouba, pathétique !"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", June 25, 2008 fr icon.] A few days after rebels loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso captured Brazzaville, the capital, in October 1997, Tchicaya announced the support of the RDPS for Sassou Nguesso. ["Congo: Pointe-Noire mayor declares his party's support for Sassou-Nguesso", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), October 20, 1997.]

In the parliamentary election held on June 24 and August 5 2007, the party won 2 out of 137 seats. [For detailed results see Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007 and [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027lalliseriat0 "L'alliance présidentielle occupe 125 des 137 sièges parlementaires"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), August 25, 2007 fr icon.]

RDPS President Thystère Tchicaya died on June 20 2008. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=22730&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=20&select_month=06&select_year=2008 "Décès à Paris de l'ancien président de l'assemblée nationale, Jean Pierre Thystère Tchicaya"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", June 21, 2008 fr icon.] Bernard Batchi succeeded him as Interim President of the RDPS. [Frenette Antsoua Loembet, [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=23052&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Les Ponténégrins ont rendu un hommage mérité à Jean-Pierre Thystere Tchicaya"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", July 11, 2008 fr icon.]

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