Amath Dansokho facts for kids
Amath Dansokho (born January 13, 1937 – died August 23, 2019) was an important politician from Senegal. He led a political group called the Party of Independence and Work (PIT) for many years. He also worked in the government as the Minister of Urban Planning and Housing. This job meant he helped plan cities and make sure people had homes. He held this role from 1991 to 1995 and again briefly in 2000. Mr. Dansokho was also the mayor of Kédougou, a city in Senegal. Later, from 2012, he became a special helper to the President of Senegal. He was also the honorary president of his party, the PIT.
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Amath Dansokho's Political Journey
Early Life and First Steps in Politics
Amath Dansokho was born in Kédougou, Senegal. He joined a political group called the African Independence Party from 1957 to 1959. For a long time, from 1960 to 1977, he lived outside Senegal. This is called living in exile.
Joining the National Assembly
In 1983, Mr. Dansokho was first chosen to be a member of the National Assembly. This is like the parliament or congress in other countries, where laws are made. He was elected as a candidate for the PIT party. In 1984, he became the main leader, or Secretary-General, of the PIT. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in 1988.
Serving as a Government Minister
From April 1991 to September 1995, Dansokho worked in the government as the Minister of Urban Planning and Housing. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in 1993 and again in 1998.
In the year 2000, he supported a different candidate, Abdoulaye Wade, in the presidential election. After Mr. Wade won, Dansokho was again made Minister of Urban Planning and Housing in April 2000. However, he started to disagree with President Wade. He was removed from his government job in November 2000.
Later Years in the National Assembly
In the April 2001 election, Dansokho was the only person from his party to be elected to the National Assembly. He also served as the Eighth Vice-President of the National Assembly. This meant he helped lead the meetings in the parliament.
In 2002, Dansokho shared his thoughts about President Wade. He felt that President Wade was too proud and that this made it hard for him to get along with other African leaders.
Elections and Political Disagreements
For the 2007 elections, Dansokho's party, the PIT, joined a group called Coalition Alternative 2007. In December 2006, another politician, Moustapha Niasse, was chosen to run for president. Dansokho was chosen to lead the list of candidates for the parliamentary election.
After President Wade won re-election, he mentioned that Dansokho and other opposition politicians might face questions about their past actions. Dansokho was accused of issues related to land sales when he was a minister and financial matters when he was mayor of Kédougou. He strongly denied these accusations. On April 2, 2007, Dansokho announced that 12 opposition parties would not take part in the parliamentary election. Because of this, the PIT did not participate.
Local Elections and Health
Dansokho was not included in the list of candidates for mayor in Kédougou for the March 2009 local elections. He said he had told his party he did not want to be mayor again because of his health. However, he still wanted to be a local council member. He believed he was left off the list because he was known for being against corruption. He continued to serve as a regional council member.
Supporting a New President
Dansokho and the PIT party supported Macky Sall in the 2012 presidential election. Mr. Sall won against President Wade. After Mr. Sall became president, he appointed Dansokho as a Special Adviser in April 2012. This was a very important role, like being a Minister of State.
In July 2016, at a meeting for the PIT party, Dansokho spoke as the Honorary President. He said that the party would continue to support President Sall as long as he kept doing a good job for the country.
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Amath Dansokho
