Martin Edzodzomo-Ela, also rendered as Martin Edzodzomo Ela or Martin Edzodzomo Ella, is a Gabonese economist and politician. He has written a number of books and articles advocating for democratic reforms in Gabon. His work with the Gabonese opposition caused his dismissal as a prominent banking executive in the 1970s. He ran as an independent protest candidate in the 1998 Gabonese presidential election.

Life and career

Edzodzomo-Ela holds a PhD in economics.[1] He worked as a senior executive at the Paribas-Gabon bank from 1975 to 1979, but he was dismissed for his opposition to the regime of Omar Bongo.[2] Ever since his political activity in the 1970s, he has been a prominent member of the pro-democratic Gabonese opposition.[1]

Edzodzomo-Ela ran as an independent candidate in the Gabonese presidential election of 1998, where he finished with 1,548 votes, or 0.49% of the votes cast.[3]

Edzodzomo-Ela has written a series of books about the political, social, and economic situation of Gabon, including a book-length treatment of Gabonese democracy in the early 1990s and a political manifesto regarding the future of Gabon.[2][4] He has also contributed journalistic and opinion articles to French African publications like the Libreville news[5] and Cameroun Web,[6] and he has been interviewed or quoted in outlets like the Courier des Afriques and Gabon Review.[7] Much of his political commentary has revolved around the ramifications of the systems established by Omar Bongo, which Edzodzomo-Ela argues have been inconsistent with democracies and fair elections.[8] He has advocated fundamental overhauls to these institutions, including constitutional reform.[9]

Edzodzomo-Ela's daughter, Danièle Obono,[10] was born in Libreville, and in 2017 was elected to the National Assembly of France representing Paris's 17th constituency for La France Insoumise.[11]

Selected works

  • De la démocratie au Gabon : Les fondements d'un renouveau national (1993)[2]
  • Une parole pour un Etat républicain, démocratique et social en Afrique noire, in three volumes[12]
  • Mon projet pour le Gabon : comment redresser un pays ruiné par trois décennies de mauvaise gestion (2015)[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Makinalok, Philippe (28 January 2015). "Écrits de l'opposant Edzodzomo-Ela sur l'alternance démocratique : peut-on parler d'OPA sur l'opposition gabonaise ?". Info 241 (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Martin Edzodzomo-Ela" (in French). BNF. 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Elections in Gabon". African Elections Database. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Ondo, Albertine (29 October 2019). "Polémique : L'essayiste gabonais Marc Mve Bekale qualifie l'activiste Laurence Ndong de " pion " de Vladimir Poutine". La Libreville (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Martin Edzodzomo-Ela : Le microscome politique Gabonais, le système Bongo en ébullition" (in French). La Libreville. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Columnist Martin Edzodzomo-Ela" (in French). Cameroun Web. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Ndong, Michel. "GABON – Jean Ping : La fin d'un mythe ?". Courier des Afriques (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Le véritable dialogue c'est faire le deuil du système Bongo (Edzodzomo Ella)". Gabonactu (in French). 5 April 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  9. ↑ Makinalok, Philippe (7 February 2015). "Le réquisitoire d'Edzodzomo-Ela pour rompre avec le système PDG-clan Bongo". Info 241 (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Danièle Obono, la seule "insoumise" élue députée à Paris" (in French). Africa Post News. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Mme Danièle Obono" (in French). French National Assembly. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Auteur Martin Edzodzomo-Ela" (in French). Mollat. 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
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