Rally for Democracy and Social Progress

For the school with the acronym RDPS, see Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School.

The Rally for Democracy and Social Progress (French: Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le progrès social, RDPS) is a political party in the Republic of the Congo, founded by Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya.

History

Thystère Tchicaya founded the RDPS on October 29, 1990, after splitting from another opposition group, the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP).[1] The RDPS won nine seats in the June–July 1992 parliamentary election.[2]

Initially part of the National Alliance for Democracy (AND), a coalition of left-wing parties that supported Pascal Lissouba, the RDPS soon broke with the AND and joined the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD) opposition coalition, led by Bernard Kolélas.[3] Together with the Union for the Republic (UR) and the Movement for Democracy and Salvation (MDS), the RDPS formed an alliance, the Movement for Unity and Reconstruction (MUR), in November 1996.[4] A few days after rebels loyal to Denis Sassou Nguesso captured Brazzaville, the capital, at the end of the civil war in October 1997, Tchicaya announced the support of the RDPS for Sassou Nguesso.[5]

In the parliamentary election held on June 24 and August 5, 2007, the party won two out of 137 seats.[6]

RDPS President Thystère Tchicaya died on June 20, 2008.[7] Bernard Batchi succeeded him as Interim President of the RDPS.[8] Later, the party was led by Thystère Tchicaya's son, Jean-Marc Thystère Tchicaya. In January 2016, it pledged its support for Denis Sassou Nguesso in the March 2016 presidential election.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Patrice Yengo, La guerre civile du Congo-Brazzaville, 1993-2002: "chacun aura sa part" (2006), KARTHALA Editions, page 62 (French).
  2. ↑ IPU-PARLINE page on the 1992 parliamentary election.
  3. ↑ "Le fait du jour - Isidore Mvouba, pathétique !", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, June 25, 2008 (French).
  4. ↑ Joachim Emmanuel Goma-Thethet, "Alliances in the political and electoral process in the Republic of Congo 1991–97", in Liberal Democracy and Its Critics in Africa: Political Dysfunction and the Struggle for Social Progress (2005), ed. Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo, Zed Books, page 118.
  5. ↑ "Congo: Pointe-Noire mayor declares his party's support for Sassou-Nguesso", Radio France Internationale, October 20, 1997.
  6. ↑ For detailed results see Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007 and "L'alliance présidentielle occupe 125 des 137 sièges parlementaires", Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), August 25, 2007 (French).
  7. ↑ "Décès à Paris de l'ancien président de l'assemblée nationale, Jean Pierre Thystère Tchicaya", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, June 21, 2008 (French).
  8. ↑ Frenette Antsoua Loembet, "Les Ponténégrins ont rendu un hommage mérité à Jean-Pierre Thystere Tchicaya", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, July 11, 2008 (French).
  9. ↑ Roger Ngombé, "Election présidentielle : Le RDPS promet de soutenir la candidature de Denis Sassou N’Guesso ", ADIAC, 8 February 2016 (French).
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