Bruno Amoussou

Bruno Ange-Marie Amoussou (born 2 July 1939 in Djakotomey) is a Beninese politician and President of the Social Democratic Party (PSD). He was the President of the National Assembly from April 1995 to April 1999 [http://www.gouv.bj/affiche_institution.php?id_srub=33&id_rub=39&lib_rub=Assemblée%20Nationale Benin government page on former presidents of the National Assembly] .] and Minister of State in charge of Planning and Prospective Development under President Mathieu Kérékou from 1999 to 2005; [Willéandre Houngbedji, [http://www.africatime.com/benin/nouvelle.asp?no_nouvelle=242799&no_categorie= "Bruno AMOUSSOU: Vaincre ou périr!"] , "L'Araignee" (Africatime.com), March 3, 2006 fr icon.] he is currently a deputy in the National Assembly. Amoussou has contested all four presidential elections since democratic rule was reintroduced in 1990.

In the 1991 presidential election, he received 5.8 % of the vote and fourth place, therefore failing to qualify for the second round. [http://africanelections.tripod.com/bj.html Elections in Benin] , African Elections Database.] Following the 1995 parliamentary election, he was elected as President of the National Assembly. He then placed fourth in the March 1996 presidential election with 7.8 % of the vote; [http://africanelections.tripod.com/bj.html Elections in Benin] , African Elections Database.] along with third place finisher Houngbédji, Amoussou backed Kérékou against President Nicéphore Soglo for the second round of the election, and Kérékou was victorious. [Samuel Decalo, "Benin: First of the New Democracies", in "Political Reform in Francophone Africa" (1997), page 61, note 21.]

Amoussou was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 1999 parliamentary election, [ [http://www.bj.refer.org/benin_ct/med/jo/jo10/infocc.htm Results of the 1999 parliamentary election] , bj.refer.org fr icon.] but on April 29 1999, he was defeated in his bid for re-election as President of the National Assembly by Adrien Houngbédji in a parliamentary vote, despite being the favored candidate of Kérékou for the position. Amoussou received 38 votes against 45 for Houngbédji. [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9342391 Benin, Year in Review: 1999] , Britannica.com.] The PSD held its first ordinary congress in early 2000, and Amoussou was elected as the party's President. ["Benin: Social Democratic Party congress ends, new leaders elected", Radio Benin (nl.newsbank.com), February 1, 2000.]

In the first round of the March 2001 presidential election, he placed fourth yet again with 8.6 % of the vote, but participated in the runoff when the second- and third-placed candidates, Soglo and Houngbédji, withdrew from the race. Running against heavily-favored incumbent Kérékou, to whom he had previously given his support for the second round, Amoussou received nearly 16 % of the vote. [ [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/03/22/benin/ "Benin finally votes for president"] , CNN.com, March 22, 2001.]

Amoussou ran again in the March 2006 presidential election, obtaining 16.29% of the vote and placing third. [ [http://www.angus-reid.com/tracker/view/10529 Angus Reid Global Monitor page on 2006 election] .] He supported Yayi Boni in the second round. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=58477 "Rejecting appeal, government sets poll for 19 March"] , IRIN, March 18, 2006.]

In the March 2007 parliamentary election, Amoussou and the PSD participated in the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy, [Alain C. Assogba, [http://www.benininfo.com/060403.htm "Conclave à Cotonou hier : L’Add passe à l’offensive (Elle veut constituer sa propre majorité)"] , "La Nouvelle Tribune" (BeninInfo.com), April 6, 2007.] and Amoussou was again elected to a seat. [ [http://www.benininfo.com/100402.htm "Proclamation des résultats des élections législatives du 31 mars 2007"] , BeninInfo.com fr icon.] Afterwards he was again a candidate for President of the National Assembly, losing to Mathurin Nago of the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin in a vote on May 3 2007. Amoussou received 34 votes, while Nago received 45. [ [http://apanews.net/article_eng.php3?id_article=32620 "Benin : Mathurin Nago elected Parliament speaker"] , African Press Agency, May 3, 2007.] [ [http://www.africatime.com/Benin/nouvelle.asp?no_nouvelle=324513&no_categorie= "Election du bureau de l’Assemblée nationale : Comment Yayi Boni a gagné le perchoir"] , "Le Matinal" (africatime.com), May 4, 2007 fr icon.]

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