Antoine Idji Kolawolé

Antoine Idji Kolawolé (born 1946) is a Beninese politician. He was the minister of foreign affairs of Benin from 1998 to 2003 and the President of the National Assembly from 2003 to 2007.[1]

Political career

Kolawolé was born in 1946 in Illikimou, near Kétou, Benin. He first received a degree in journalism from the Université de Fribourg in Switzerland in 1972, before receiving a bachelor's degree in law from the same university in 1973.[2] He then received an advanced degree in law from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University in France in 1976.[2] Under President Mathieu Kérékou, Kolawolé served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from May 1998 to May 2003, when he resigned. In the March 2003 parliamentary election, his party, the African Movement for Development and Progress (MADEP), participated in the Presidential Movement, which supported Kérékou, and Kolawolé was elected as President of the National Assembly on April 25, 2003.[3]

Kolawolé served as First Vice-President of MADEP,[4] and in September 2005 he was designated as the party's presidential candidate for the March 2006 presidential election.[5] In the election, he took fifth place with 3.25% of the vote in the first round.[6]

He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the March 2007 parliamentary election as part of the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy.[7] Mathurin Nago was elected by the National Assembly to succeed Kolawolé as its President on May 3, 2007.[8]

In the April 2015 parliamentary election, he was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of the Union Makes the Nation coalition in the 21st constituency.[9] In 2016, he commentated on relations with the United States.[2] He praised Barack Obama for his contributions to Africa and for advancing justice for minorities, but expressed concern regarding Donald Trump and warned that he could undermine U.S. relations with Africa.[2] However, he still called for free trade with the United States and expansion of U.S. programs.[2]

He announced prior to the 2019 Beninese parliamentary election that he would not run as a candidate and would give up his seat in favor of former mayor Jean Pierre Babatoundé and for other young candidates of the Progressive Union Renewal party.[10]

References

  1. ^ Historie du Parlement Beninois assemblee-nationale.bj (in French) October 2017
  2. ^ a b c d e Salifou, Soumanou (5 December 2016). "Trump should first develop a good relationship with America itself". The African. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  3. ^ IPU PARLINE page for 2003 parliamentary election.
  4. ^ "Tractations pour la présidence de l’Assemblée : Vers un consensus au sein du « front anti-cauris » ?", Le Matinal, April 25, 2007 (in French). "BENIN". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ Jean Sina, "Candidature du Madep pour 2006 : Idji Kolawolé soutenu par les cadres du parti" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Le Matin, 6 September 2005 (in French).
  6. ^ Elections in Benin, African Elections Database.
  7. ^ "Proclamation des résultats des élections législatives du 31 mars 2007". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2007., BeninInfo.com (in French).
  8. ^ Jean-Christophe Houngbo, "Election du bureau de l’Assemblée nationale : Comment Yayi Boni a gagné le perchoir", Le Matinal, May 4, 2007 (in French). "BENIN". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2007.
  9. ^ Yao Hervé Kingbêwé, "Législatives : liste complète des 83 députés selon la CENA", La Nouvelle Tribune, 2 May 2015 (in French).
  10. ^ ZOHOUN, Judicaël (4 February 2019). "Antoine Idji Kolawolé ne sera pas candidat". 24 HEURES AU BENIN (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
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