Jean-Marie Doré facts for kids

Jean-Marie Doré (born June 12, 1938 – died January 29, 2016) was a politician from Guinea. He served as the Prime Minister of Guinea from January 2010 to December 2010. Doré was the leader of the Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG) party. For many years, he was a strong voice in the opposition. He was later chosen to lead a temporary government that helped prepare for the 2010 presidential election.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Jean-Marie Doré was born in Bossou, a town in Guinea's Forestière region. He went to college in France and studied law. In the early 1990s, he became an important leader for groups that opposed the government.

Doré was known for speaking his mind and for being a strong critic of President Lansana Conté. He never joined the government while Conté was president.

Running for President

Doré's main support came from smaller ethnic groups in the Forestière region. He ran for president in the 1993 election. Official results showed he received less than 1% of the votes.

Later, he was elected to the National Assembly (Guinea's parliament) in the 1995 election. He was the only person from his party, the UPG, to win a seat.

He ran for president again in December 1998. Before the election, he asked for it to be delayed because he felt things weren't ready. After the election, he was briefly held under house arrest while votes were counted. Official results showed he came in fourth place.

Working for Peace and Fair Elections

In 2001, during a civil war in neighboring Liberia, Doré spoke out. He asked President Conté and Liberia's leader, Charles Taylor, to stop helping armed groups that were fighting each other. Doré wanted Conté to disarm certain groups in Guinea to help bring peace.

In July 2001, Doré criticized the ruling party's plan to change the constitution. This change would have allowed President Conté to run for another term. Doré said his party would stop talking with the government if they continued this plan. He also said it was important to hold a new parliamentary election.

Most opposition parties decided not to take part in the June 2002 parliamentary election. However, Doré's UPG party did participate and won three seats. Even though they won seats, the UPG disagreed with the official results and did not join the National Assembly.

Pushing for Change in 2003

Before the December 2003 presidential election, Doré became the spokesperson for a group of seven opposition parties called the Republican Front for Democratic Change (FRAD). This group wanted to make sure elections were fair.

In September 2003, the government said opposition activities could be shown on state TV. But Doré, speaking for FRAD, said they needed a written promise from the government. He also pointed out that the government had ignored their requests for a new, independent group to run the elections.

On October 21, 2003, the government refused to broadcast a statement from FRAD that accused them of planning to cheat in the election. The government also announced the election date without the opposition's agreement. Doré was very upset, saying the talks with the government were just a show. In early November 2003, Doré and other major opposition leaders announced they would not take part in the election.

On November 13, 2003, Doré spoke about President Conté's health, which was clearly not good. He was arrested later that day but was quickly released after 21 hours, likely due to pressure from other countries. After being released, Doré said he was even more determined to see an end to Conté's rule.

Years of Opposition (2005–2008)

As President Conté's health worsened, many people wondered what would happen when he died. Doré said that opposition parties needed to agree on a plan for the time after Conté. He also warned that if the military took power, they wouldn't last long because they wouldn't get financial help from other countries.

On September 10, 2005, Doré read a statement for FRAD. He said Conté was "an obstacle to Guinea's development" and urged him to resign. Doré announced on October 29, 2005, that FRAD would take part in the December 2005 local elections. He said they wanted to show the world they were committed to helping Guinea move forward, even if they weren't sure the elections would be fair.

In March 2006, when Conté went to Switzerland for medical care, Doré again spoke about the President's health. He said the law required the President to be healthy enough to do his job. He also said people deserved to know more about the situation.

In January 2007, during a general strike supported by the opposition, Doré said people were angry about Conté's actions. He said people were "fed up with living in a country where nothing works."

Becoming Prime Minister

President Conté died on December 23, 2008, after nearly 25 years in power. Doré expressed sadness, even though he had opposed Conté's policies. He said it was important for Guinea's laws to be followed for a peaceful change of power. However, the military took control in a coup d'état (a sudden takeover of government) just hours later. They formed a ruling group called the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD).

Doré's party, the UPG, joined with other opposition groups and unions to form the Forum of Active Forces (FFV). This group wanted a quick return to civilian rule and elections. Doré played an important role in talks between the opposition and the CNDD.

In December 2009, the CNDD leader, Moussa Dadis Camara, was shot. Sékouba Konaté took his place as acting leader. Konaté said the opposition could choose a new Prime Minister to lead the country until a new election.

On January 15, 2010, the FFV suggested two people for the job: Doré and a union leader named Rabiatou Serah Diallo. They asked Konaté to choose between them. On January 18, it was reported that the FFV had chosen Doré as their only candidate. His university degree was reportedly the deciding factor.

On January 19, 2010, the military government announced that Doré would be the new Prime Minister. They said they chose him because of his experience and knowledge of Guinean politics. He was to lead a government of 30 members for six months, with the main goal of holding a fair election. His government would include ten ministers from the opposition, ten from the CNDD, and ten from different regions of Guinea.

Doré officially became Prime Minister on January 26, 2010. He said he was "committed to leading Guinea toward free, credible and transparent elections."

It took some time to choose all the members of the new government because many different groups wanted ministerial positions. Doré's government, with 34 members, was finally appointed on February 15, 2010.

After Alpha Condé won the presidential election, he became President of Guinea on December 21, 2010. Doré then offered his government's resignation to Condé, who accepted it on December 22. Condé praised Doré's government, saying they had done an excellent job helping to prepare for a free election and a peaceful transfer of power.

In the September 2013 parliamentary election, Doré was elected to the National Assembly again. As the oldest member of the National Assembly, Doré led the election for the President of the National Assembly on January 13, 2014.

Jean-Marie Doré passed away on January 29, 2016, in Conakry, Guinea, from natural causes.