Francis Wodié

Romain Francis Wodié (born 25 February 1936 [http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/56/a56374.pdf UN document on election of a member of the International Court of Justice, including Wodié's curriculum vitae as a candidate] , 17 September 2001.] [http://web.archive.org/web/20041019125025/http://www.abidjan.net/elections2000/candidats/wodie.asp Candidate profile] , abidjan.net fr icon.] ) is an Ivoirian politician and the President of the Ivoirian Workers' Party (PIT). [http://www.pit-ci.org/histoire.php Page on Wodié and the history of the PIT] on PIT website fr icon.]

Wodié was born in Abidjan, where he later taught law. He was a founding member of the Ivorian League of Human Rights, and from 1985 to 1989, he was President of the Ivorian section of Amnesty International. He founded the PIT in 1990 and was the only candidate of his party to win a seat in the National Assembly in the November 1990 parliamentary election, [Robert J. Mundt, "Côte d'Ivoire: Continuity and Change in a Semi-Democracy", "Political Reform in Francophone Africa" (1997), ed. Clark and Gardinier, page 192.] "Nov 1990 - Legislative elections", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 36, November, 1990 International, Page 37841.] serving as a deputy from Cocody district in Abidjan until losing his seat in the 1995 parliamentary election. As the only candidate standing against President Henri Konan Bédié in the October 1995 presidential election, which was boycotted by other opposition parties, [Mundt, page 197.] [http://africanelections.tripod.com/ci.html Elections in Côte d'Ivoire] , African Elections Database.] Wodié won 3.52% of the votes.

In the government named on August 11 1998, Wodié was appointed as Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, ["Aug 1998 - COTE D’IVOIRE", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 44, August, 1998 International, Page 42430.] serving in that position until 1999. Explaining his decision to join the government, Wodié said that, although the PIT was an opposition party, it also favored consultations enabling the party to contribute to national development. ["Ivorian Workers Party leader on new ministerial post, opposition role", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), August 20, 1998.] Along with other ministers, he was detained following the military coup of December 24 1999, but he was released on December 28. ["Cote d'Ivoire: Junta releases half-dozen ex-ministers", AFP, December 28, 1999.] In February 2000, Wodié announced his candidacy for the October 2000 presidential election. ["Programme summary of Radio France Internationale 1830 gmt 18 Feb 00", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), February 19, 2000.] In this election, Wodié placed third with 5.7% of the votes.

Wodié was the First National Secretary of the PIT from the time of its Constitutive Congress until the party's 3rd Ordinary Congress in August 2004, when he was elected as its President.

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