Raimundo Rodrigues Pereira (born 1956) is a
Bissau-Guinean lawyer and politician who was interim
President of Guinea-Bissau from 3 March 2009 to 8 September 2009 and again in 2012, following the departure of President
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá () (5 May 1947 – 9 January 2012) was a Guinea-Bissau politician who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 8 September 2009 until his death on 9 January 2012. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and ...
for medical treatment abroad; he continued in that capacity after Sanha's death. Pereira was elected as President of the
National People's Assembly on 22 December 2008. Pereira is a member of the
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (, PAIGC) is a political party in Guinea-Bissau. Originally formed to peacefully campaign for independence from Portugal, the party turned to armed conflict in the 1960s and was o ...
(PAIGC). He was ousted in a coup on 12 April 2012 and succeeded by
Mamadu Ture Kuruma.
Personal life
Pereira is a lawyer by training.
Political career
In the
November 2008 legislative election, in which PAIGC won a parliamentary majority, Pereira was elected to the National People's Assembly as a PAIGC candidate in the 28th constituency, located in
Bissau
Bissau () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. it had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, its administr ...
, the capital. He was chosen by PAIGC to replace
Francisco Benante (also a PAIGC member) as President of the National People's Assembly after the election, and accordingly, on 22 December 2008 he was elected as President of the National People's Assembly. He received 60 votes, while a rival PAIGC candidate,
Helder Proença, received 37.
Presidency
Following the assassination of President
João Bernardo Vieira by the
army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
on 2 March 2009, the army stated that Pereira, as President of the National People's Assembly, would succeed Vieira as President of Guinea-Bissau on an interim basis, in accordance with the constitution.
Pereira was sworn in on 3 March 2009; according to the constitution, he had 60 days to organize a
presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The p ...
. Prime Minister
Carlos Gomes Junior and an
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of twelve countries of West Africa. Collectively, the present and former members comprise an area ...
(ECOWAS) delegation were present for his swearing in. On that occasion, Pereira urged the international community to help Guinea-Bissau "regain the reflexes of a stable state". The opposition
Social Renovation Party (PRS) criticized Pereira's succession, arguing that "a debate open to all active forces in the country in an appropriate forum like parliament to reflect on the kind of state to set up" would have been preferable. At Vieira's funeral on 10 March, Pereira said that meeting the 60-day deadline for holding a new election was "one of our greatest challenges."
Pereira sought the PAIGC nomination for the presidential election, but on 25 April 2009, the PAIGC Central Committee chose
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá () (5 May 1947 – 9 January 2012) was a Guinea-Bissau politician who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 8 September 2009 until his death on 9 January 2012. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and ...
, who was interim President of Guinea-Bissau from 1999 to 2000, as the party's presidential candidate. He received 144 votes, while Pereira received 118.
["Malam Bacai Sanhá candidato do PAIGC às eleições presidenciais"]
Panapress, 25 April 2009 . Sanhá went on to win the election and succeeded Pereira on 8 September 2009.
2012 coup d'état
On 12 April 2012, Pereira was ousted in a coup and succeeded by
Mamadu Ture Kuruma, Chairman of the Military Command of Guinea-Bissau. Pereira and Prime Minister
Carlos Gomes Júnior were arrested by the military as gunfire ensued in the capital of
Bissau
Bissau () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. it had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, its administr ...
. The Chairperson of the
African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
Jean Ping issued a statement rejecting the coup and demanded the release of Pereira and Gomes. The
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
issued a statement saying that they "strongly condemn the forcible seizure of power".
On 27 April 2012, the deposed leaders were freed and sent to the
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pereira, Raimundo
1956 births
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde politicians
Living people
Presidents of Guinea-Bissau
Presidents of the National People's Assembly (Guinea-Bissau)
People from Quinara region
Bissau-Guinean lawyers
Heads of government who were later imprisoned
Leaders ousted by a coup