Gérard Bitsindou

Gérard Bitsindou (15 November 1941 – 26 August 2012[1]) was a Congolese political figure who was President of the Constitutional Court of Congo-Brazzaville from 2003 to 2012. He previously served as Secretary-General of the Presidency from 1980 to 1991 and as Minister for the Contrôle d'Etat from 1997 to 2002.

Life and career

A member of the Lari ethnic group,[2][3] Bitsindou was born in Mbandza-Ndounga, located in the Pool Region.[4] He was Director of Labour[4][5] at the Ministry of Labour and the Civil Service[4] before becoming Secretary-General of the Presidency under President Denis Sassou Nguesso;[4][5] he held the latter post from 1980 to 1991.[4] After Sassou Nguesso returned to power in the 1997 civil war, he appointed Bitsindou as Minister for the Contrôle d'Etat on 2 November 1997.[6] He was subsequently moved to the post of Minister at the Presidency for the Cabinet of the Head of State and the Contrôle d'Etat on 12 January 1999.[7]

In the May–June 2002 parliamentary election, Bitsindou was elected to the National Assembly as an independent candidate from Mbandza-Ndounga constituency;[4][8] he won the seat in the first round with 54.86% of the vote.[8] He was not included in the government named on 18 August 2002;[9] his ministerial duties were split between two successors, and he handed over control of his ministry on 22 August 2002.[10] A few months later, he was appointed as President of the Constitutional Court by President Sassou Nguesso on 29 January 2003.[11]

Bitsindou was sworn in for another term as President of the Constitutional Council on 15 June 2012, but he died in Paris two months later, on 26 August 2012. His death came at a time when the Constitutional Court was responsible for reviewing legal complaints regarding the July–August 2012 parliamentary election.[12] He was buried at Madibou in Brazzaville on 6 September 2012.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Parfait Wilfried Douniama, "Disparition : dernier hommage de la République à Gérard Bitsindou", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 6 September 2012 (French).
  2. ↑ "Who's who in Sassou's Congo", Africa Confidential, volume 43, number 12, 4 June 2002.
  3. ↑ John F. Clark and Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo, fourth edition (2012), Scarecrow Press.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bitsindou Gérard", Congo Brazzaville: Les Hommes de Pouvoir, number 1, Africa Intelligence, 29 October 2002 (French).
  5. 1 2 Rémy Bazenguissa-Ganga, Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique (1997), Karthala Editions, page 427 (French).
  6. ↑ "Le gouvernement du Congo formé le 01/11/1997" at the Wayback Machine (archived December 16, 2004), Afrique Express (French).
  7. ↑ "Le nouveau gouvernement du Congo", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 13 January 1999 (French).
  8. 1 2 "Elections législatives : les 51 élus du premier tour", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 5 June 2002 (French).
  9. ↑ "La composition du nouveau gouvernement congolais" at the Wayback Machine (archived May 28, 2012), Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 19 August 2002 (French).
  10. ↑ "Programme summary of Congolese radio from Brazzaville news 1800 gmt 23 Aug 02", Radio Congo, Brazzaville, 27 August 2002.
  11. ↑ "La composition de la Cour constitutionnelle rendue publique à Brazzaville", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 30 January 2003 (French).
  12. ↑ Parfait-Wilfried Douniama, "Disparition : Gérard Bitsindou n'est plus", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 27 August 2012 (French).
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