Abel Goumba

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Abel Nguéndé Goumba (born September 18, 1926) is a Centroafrican political figure. He has unsuccessfully run for president of the Central African Republic four times and was vice-president under François Bozizé from December 2003 until March 2005. He was born in Grimari, Ouaka region in the Oubangi-Chari French colony which is now the Central African Republic.

He was vice-president of the government council from 1957 to 1958, president of the government council during 1958, and prime minister from 1958 until 1959. He was defeated in a political power struggle by David Dacko in 1959 and then became a minor opposition party leader. He was in exile in France from 1960 until 1980. Even after his return to the Central African Republic, he was occasionally arrested for political activity. He feuded with all of Central African Republic's presidents until 2003 and was declared by them to be a national traitor.

Goumba ran for president in 1981, 1993, and 1999. In the 1981 election, which was won by Dacko (who was nevertheless ousted only a few months later), Goumba took less than 2% of the vote, but in the 1993 election he achieved his best result, coming in second place but being defeated by Ange-Felix Patassé in a run-off, in which Goumba took about 46% of the vote. In 1999 he did poorly by comparison, taking only about 6% of the vote and coming in fourth, behind Patassé, André Kolingba, and Dacko.^[1]

He was appointed prime minister again in March 2003 after Bozizé ousted the previous government of Patassé.^[2] He has stressed the importance of governing without corruption. On December 12, 2003 he was replaced as prime minister by Célestin Gaombalet and became Vice-President instead.^[3]

He was a presidential candidate for the fourth time in the election held on March 13, 2005. Goumba was not expected to win;^[4] he received sixth place and 2.5% of the vote.^[1] He was one of the five candidates initially approved by the transitional constitutional court on December 30, 2004;^[5] seven other candidates were excluded, although six of them were later allowed to run. Shortly after the elections were held, but before the results became available, Bozizé dismissed him from the vice-presidency, and the position was abolished.^[4]

^ ^a ^b Elections in the Central African Republic, African Elections Database.
^ "Bozize appoints prime minister", IRIN, March 24, 2003.
^ "New premier forms government, Goumba appointed VP", IRIN, December 15, 2003.
^ ^a ^b "Bozize sacks his deputy", IRIN, March 16, 2005.
^ "Court clears five to run for president", IRIN, December 31, 2004.

Preceded by Barthélemy Boganda	Prime Minister of the Central African Republic 1959	Succeeded by David Dacko
Preceded by Martin Ziguélé	Prime Minister of the Central African Republic 2003	Succeeded by Célestin Gaombalet