Jean-Marie Doré was a major figure of the opposition in Guinea. Thro his life, he fought with courage and tenacity for democracy and freedoms in his country, not hesitating to confront the authoritarian regimes in place.
In prison on several occasions, he always refused to deal with his convictions. Becoming Prime Minister during the democratic transition in 2010, he played a crucial role in organizing free elections, thus fulfilling his lifelong political struggle.
Introduction
Jean-Marie Doré was one of the leading figures in Guinea's opposition to the authoritarian regimes that succeeded in this West African country.
Engaged very early in politics, he dedicated his life to defending freedoms and democracy in his country, not hesitating to confront the powerful. He was imprisoned several times, and never failed in his fight.
Becoming Prime Minister during the transition that followed the death of President Lansana Conté in 2010, he played a decisive role in leading Guinea towards free and transparent elections.
A man of conviction coupled with a skilled negotiator, Jean-Marie Doré symbolizes the courage and tenacity of the Guinean opposition against the arbitrary.
Childhood and education
Born in 1938 in Bossou, in the forest region of south-eastern Guinea, Jean-Marie Doré is from the Toma ethnic group, one of the minority groups in the country.
After his secondary studies at Kindia, he went to France to pursue a degree in law. This is where he discovered his political vocation, engaging in the student diaspora of Guinea.
On his return to the country to independence in 1958, he entered the service of the state while activizing in the CEO, the single party of President Sékou Touré. But his independent spirit prompted him to move away from the regime.
As early as the 1960s, he criticized the authoritarian drift of power, which earned him a first arrest.
Political path under Conté
After the death of Sékou Touré in 1984, Jean-Marie Doré founded the Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG), an opposition party.
When General Lansana Conté took power, Doré became one of the main opponents of the new military regime. An intellectual known for his verve and frank speech, he embodies a radical and uncompromising opposition.
Considered as a troublemaker on the political scene, he refused any participation in the government under Conté. His electoral fief is among the minorities in the Forestiere region, whose interests he fervently defends.
As a candidate in the 1993 presidential election, he received only 0.9% of the vote. Two years later, he was elected a Member of Parliament, the only UPG candidate to win it.
In 1998, he again competed in the presidential election, finishing 4th with 1.7% of the vote. During the 1990s, heined close ties with the Liberian rebel Charles Taylor, seeking to act as mediators in the civil conflict in Liberia.
With the 2003 elections approaching, Doré took over the leadership of the Republican Front for Democratic Alternance (FRAD), comprising seven opposition parties.
Faced with the dying regime of Conté, FRAD calls for postponement of the vote and for the establishment of an independent electoral commission. In November 2003, Doré was arrested for denouncing Conté's candidacy because of his ill health.
Released under Western pressure, he comes out of prison even more determined to fight power. FRAD boycotted the election, largely won by Conté.
Transition after the death of Conté
When Conté died at the end of 2008, Doré called for respect for the institutions while warning the military junta against any willingness to retain power.
Together with other opposition parties, he formed the Live Forces Forum (FFV) to demand a swift return to constitutional order. A skilled negotiator, he dialogue with the junta to free and transparent elections.
In 2010, the FFV proposed Doré and the unionist Rabiatou Serah Diallo to lead the transitional government. During the presidential election, Doré was appointed Prime Minister with the task of organising presidential elections.
Despite the difficulties, he managed to form a government of national unity combining the junta and the opposition. The election was held under the right conditions, dedicating the victory of Alpha Condé over Cellou Dalein Diallo.
Doré resigned after the inauguration of the new president, who welcomed his decisive role in the holding of a free and transparent election.
Death and legacy
Re-elected to Parliament in 2013, Jean-Marie Doré died in 2016, aged 77. Through his intransigence and courage, he embodied decades of struggle for democracy in Guinea.
His participation in the transitional government enabled him to realize his political ideal of free and regular elections in his country.
Despite the difficulties, he continued to struggle with tenacity for his convictions, forcing the very admiration of his political opponents. Jean-Marie Doré will remain as a major figure in contemporary Guinean political history.
Conclusion
Jean-Marie Doré has devoted his life to defending freedoms and democracy in his country, despite the risks involved. Prisoned and repeatedly threatened, he never transgressed his deep-rooted convictions.
Becoming the craftsman of democratic change during the transition in 2010, he was able to negotiate skillfully with his opponents yesterday to lead the organization of free elections.
Through his courage, uprightness and tenacity, Jean-Marie Doré embodies the best of Guinea's opposition to the arbitrariness of authoritarian regimes. His twisted political career symbolizes the disappointed but still renewed hopes for democracy in his country.
