Abdoulaye Wade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abdoulaye Wade
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Wade in 2011
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| 3rd President of Senegal | |
| In office 1 April 2000 – 2 April 2012 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Abdou Diouf |
| Succeeded by | Macky Sall |
| Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party | |
| Assumed office 31 July 1974 |
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| Preceded by | Party established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 May 1926 Kébémer, French Senegal (now Senegal) |
| Political party | Senegalese Democratic Party |
| Spouse |
Viviane Vert
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 2, including Karim |
Abdoulaye Wade (born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician. He served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS). He has led this party since it was created in 1974.
Wade was 74 years old when he became president. This made him the oldest person to hold that job. He was an opposition leader for a long time. He ran for president four times, starting in 1978. Finally, he was elected in 2000. He won again in 2007. However, he lost in 2012 when he tried for a third term. Wade also has French citizenship.
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Early Life and Education
Abdoulaye Wade was born in Kébémer, Senegal, on 29 May 1926. He came from a Wolof family. He went to school in France. There, he studied and taught law at the Lycée Condorcet.
He earned two special degrees called doctorates. These were in law and economics. Later, he became a dean at the law and economics school. This was at the University of Dakar in Senegal.
Political Journey to Presidency
Abdoulaye Wade wanted to start a new political party. In 1974, he talked to President Léopold Sédar Senghor about it. President Senghor agreed. So, the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) was formed on 31 July 1974.
The party first aimed to be a Labour party. But in 1976, a new law came out. It said only three parties could exist, each with a different idea. So, the PDS chose to be a liberal party.
Wade first ran for president in 1978 against Senghor. He got 17.38% of the votes. Senghor gave Wade the nickname "Diombor," which means "hare" in Wolof. Wade also became a member of the National Assembly of Senegal in 1978. He served there until 1980.
After Senghor stepped down in 1980, Wade ran for president again. He ran in 1983 and 1988. Both times, he came in second place. Abdou Diouf, Senghor's successor, won those elections. After the 1988 election, Wade faced some legal issues. He then went to France but came back in 1990.
In 1991, Wade and other PDS members joined the government. He became a Minister of State. But they left the government in 1992. They felt the ruling party had too much control. In the 1993 election, Wade again came in second.
Wade faced more legal challenges in 1994. He was arrested after some protests. But the charges were later dropped. He rejoined the government in 1995 but left again in 1998. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1998. However, he resigned later that year. He said there were "enough deputies" to do the work.
Presidency (2000–2012)
Wade spent a year in France and returned to Senegal in 1999. In the 2000 presidential election, he came in second in the first round. But in the second round, he won with 58.49% of the votes. He became President on 1 April 2000. He then appointed Moustapha Niasse as his Prime Minister.
At first, Wade worked with the Socialist Party. But in 2001, his party and its allies won a majority in the parliament. A new constitution was also created in 2001. It changed the presidential term to five years. This would start after Wade's first term ended in 2007.
In 2002, Wade received the World Peace Culture Award. In 2004, he signed a peace agreement. This was with rebels in Casamance, ending a long conflict.
Winning Re-election in 2007
On 15 October 2006, Wade was chosen to run for president again. This was for the February 2007 election. One of his opponents was Idrissa Seck, a former prime minister.
The final results came out on 11 March 2007. Wade won in the first round with 55.9% of the votes. He was far ahead of other candidates. Two opposition candidates challenged the results. But the Constitutional Council rejected their appeals.
Wade was sworn in for his second term on 3 April 2007. Many African leaders and about 60,000 people attended the event. Most opposition parties did not accept his victory. They boycotted later elections that year.
In July 2007, Wade spoke at an African Union meeting. He supported the idea of a "United States of Africa." He said that if African countries do not unite, they will be weak.
In March 2008, Senegal sent troops to Comoros. This was to help end a conflict on the island of Anjouan.
The 2012 Election and Stepping Down
In July 2008, the National Assembly changed the constitution. It increased the presidential term to seven years again. This change would not affect Wade's term ending in 2012. But it meant he could run for re-election in 2012. On 17 September 2009, Wade confirmed he planned to run for a third term.
In 2011, Wade used a Wolof phrase: "Ma waxoon waxeet." This means "I said it, I (can) take it back." He used it to explain why he was running again. This phrase became a popular slogan for those against him.
On 27 January 2012, he was officially allowed to run for a third term. This decision caused protests and unrest. After the first round of voting, Wade admitted he had not won a majority. He had to face a second round.
He lost the second round on 25 March 2012. The opposition candidate, Macky Sall, won by a large margin. Sall had the support of other candidates.
Wade was praised for how he handled the 2012 election. He congratulated his opponent and stepped down peacefully. Many international groups praised his actions. This showed his commitment to democracy. Sall became president on 2 April 2012.
After the Presidency (2012–Present)
After losing the election, Wade remained the leader of his party, the PDS. Many important members left the party. He did not run in the July 2012 parliamentary election.
The PDS won 12 seats in that election. This was a big drop from before. But Wade saw it as a good sign. He said the PDS was still the largest opposition party.
In 2015, even close to his 90th birthday, Wade did not want to retire. He felt there were no strong younger leaders to take his place.
In the July 2017 parliamentary election, Wade ran again. He led a group of opposition parties. But the opposition was divided. President Sall's party won a majority of seats. Wade's group came in second with 19 seats.
Wade won a seat himself. But he resigned on 10 September 2017. He said he only ran to support his group. As of 2019, Wade still leads the PDS. He still has a lot of influence within the party.
In the July 2022 parliamentary election, Wade's party joined a big opposition group. But he later left that group. He formed a new group called Wallu Senegal. This election was not very successful for the PDS. Other opposition groups gained more power in major cities.
Personal Life
Abdoulaye Wade married Viviane Vert in 1963. They have two children. Their son, Karim Wade, worked in the government. He was a Minister from 2009 to 2012. Their daughter, Sindjely Wade, was a special assistant to the President. She also took part in car rallies.
Wade has kept his French citizenship. In March 2012, he announced plans to go to Saudi Arabia. This was for a religious trip.
Honours
National Honours
- Senegal:
Grand Cross of the National Order of the Lion
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
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Foreign Honours
- France:
Grand Cross of the Order of Legion of Honour
- Finland:
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2009)
- Monaco:
Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles (9 November 2009)
Images for kids
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Wade and the Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, in 2005
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Wade with President of the United States George W. Bush in July 2003
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At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009
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President of Brazil Lula da Silva and Wade, in April 2005
See Also
In Spanish: Abdoulaye Wade para niños
