Léopold Gnininvi

Léopold Messan Kokou Gnininvi (born December 19 1942 [http://www.etiame.com/etiame296.htm Short biographies of Togolese government ministers] , Etiame.com fr icon.] [http://www.cenitogo.tg/listecandidats/LOMECOMMUNE.pdf List of candidates in Lomé Commune in the 2007 election] , CENI website fr icon.] ) is a Togolese politician and the Secretary-General of the Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA). He is currently serving in the government of Togo as Minister of State for Industry, Crafts, and Technological Innovations.

Gnininvi was born in Aného, Lacs Prefecture. He is a Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, having received his "doctorat d'Etat" from the University of Dijon in France in 1977. [http://web.archive.org/web/20040419223604/www.afrique-express.com/archive/OUEST/togo/togobios/270leopoldgninvi.htm "Léopold Gnininvi, L’intellectuel"] , "Afrique Express", N° 270, May 20, 2003 fr icon.] He became a full professor in 1981. From 1978 to 1993, he was the head of the solar energy laboratory at the University of Lomé. He was Director of the National Institute of Educational Science from 1979 to 1988 and National Director of Scientific Research from 1987 to 1993. He retired from teaching at the University of Lomé in 1997.

Gnininvi was elected Secretary-General of the CDPA in March 1991. [http://www.icilome.com/nouvelles/news.asp?id=83&idnews=1906&f= "Présidentielles 2003 : Profil des candidats"] , iciLome.com, May 16, 2003 fr icon.] At the 1991 Sovereign National Conference, Gnininvi was the opposition's initial choice for the position of Prime Minister,John R. Heilbrunn, "Togo: The National Conference and Stalled Reform", in "Political Reform in Francophone Africa" (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, page 238.] but he withdrew in favor of Joseph Kokou Koffigoh, the leader of the Togolese League of Human Rights, who was better known than Gnininvi, for the sake of opposition unity. He became the President-in-Office of the Collective of the Democratic Opposition (COD2) in August 1992. In 1992 and August 1997, he was re-elected as Secretary-General of the CDPA.

He was the CDPA candidate in the June 1998 presidential election, and was the first declared candidate in the election. [http://www.diastode.org/Droits/tete_chro.html "DÉMOCRATISATION À LA TOGOLAISE"] ("CHRONOLOGIE"), Tètè Tété, 1998 (diastode.org) fr icon.] Two weeks prior to the election, he sent a letter to the electoral commission in which he stated his "concern over anomalies and delays surrounding the organization of the election". ["Togolese presidential election campaign under way", AFP, June 7, 1998.] Two days before the election, he joined other opposition candidates in criticizing alleged problems in the electoral preparations and calling for the election to be delayed. ["Togo: Two more presidential candidates seek postponement of elections", Radio France Internationale, June 20, 1998.] According to official results, he placed fifth in the election, taking 0.80% of the vote. [ [http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/898586b1dc7b4043c1256a450044f331/4e94c4d96732fa13c1256af000379051/$FILE/G0143065.pdf "CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT: Addendum TOGO"] , United Nations International covenant on civil and political rights, CCPR/C/TGO/2001/3, July 5, 2001.] In November 1998, after President Gnassingbé Eyadéma called for the opposition to engage in talks, Gnininvi said that the CDPA would not participate because the talks were only intended to legitimize the rule of Eyadéma's Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/218947.stm "Togo opposition turns down talks"] , BBC News, November 21, 1998.]

Gnininvi initially ran as a candidate in the presidential election of June 1 2003, but he announced his withdrawal from the election on May 26, choosing to back fellow opposition candidate Emmanuel Bob-Akitani of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) instead. [http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=43954 "TOGO: Gnininvi stands down as presidential candidate"] , IRIN, May 26, 2003.] [ [http://www.togo-confidentiel.com/texte/Politique/CV_candidats.htm Profiles of 2003 candidates] , togo-confidentiel.com fr icon.] He said he made this decision because he had already mobilized his supporters for the election and because he wanted the opposition to unite behind the strongest candidate from its ranks. His name remained on the ballot, however, and received 0.017% of the vote. [ [http://democratie.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/TOGO_RME24042005.pdf "RAPPORT DE LA MISSION EXPLORATOIRE DEPECHEE DANS LA PERSPECTIVE DE L’ELECTION PRESIDENTIELLE ANTICIPEE DU 24 AVRIL 2005 AU TOGO"] , democratie.francophonie.org fr icon.]

He was appointed as Minister of State for Mines and Energy in the government of Prime Minister Yawovi Agboyibo, named on September 20 2006. [ [http://www.afrik.com/article10422.html "Formation du nouveau gouvernement au Togo"] , Panapress (Afrik.com), September 20, 2006 fr icon.] In the run-up to the October 2007 parliamentary election, Gnininivi praised the "remarkable work" of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) and said that the electoral census conducted by CENI had ensured "a credible process". [ [http://www.republicoftogo.com/central.php?o=5&s=1&d=3&i=967 "Pour Léopold Gnininvi, le processus électoral est « crédible »"] , Republicoftogo.com, September 14, 2007 fr icon.] [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/togo/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027ledirtnemes0 "Le dirigeant d'un parti d'opposition salue le climat d'apaisement"] , Xinhua ("Jeuneafrique.com"), September 14, 2007 fr icon.] Gnininvi was the first candidate on the CDPA's candidate list for Lomé in the 2007 election, but the party did not win any seats in the election. [http://www.cenitogo.tg/resultats/Resultats_definitifs_des_elections_legislatives_du_14_octobre_2007_%20proclames_par_la_Cour_Constitutionnelle.do.pdf Text of Constitutional Court decision (final election results)] , October 30, 2007 fr icon.] Following the election, Gnininvi remained in the government appointed on December 13 2007 under Prime Minister Komlan Mally and was moved to the position of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. [ [http://www.republicoftogo.com/central.php?o=5&s=1&d=3&i=1395 "Léopold Gnininvi aux Affaires étrangères"] , Republicoftogo.com, December 13, 2007 fr icon.]

In the next government, appointed on September 15, 2008 and headed by Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo, Gnininvi was moved to the position of Minister of State for Industry, Crafts, and Technological Innovations. [ [http://www.republicoftogo.com/central.php?o=1&s=0&d=3&i=2444 "L’équipe autour de Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo"] , Republicoftogo.com, September 15, 2008 fr icon.]

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