Carlos Gomes Júnior

Carlos Domingos Gomes Júnior (born December 19 1949 [http://www.paigc.org/cadogo.htm Biography on PAIGC website] (in Portuguese).] ) was the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 10 May 2004 [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=41045&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA-BISSAU "Young technocrats prominent in new elected government"] , IRIN, May 13, 2004.] to 2 November 2005. He has been the President of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) since 2002. He is widely known as "Cadogo".

Gomes was born in Bolama. He was a delegate of PAIGC to the party's Fifth Congress in December 1991, and in the first multiparty elections, held in 1994, he was elected to the National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau from the 26th Electoral District. In 1996, he was elected First Vice-President of the National People's Assembly, Second Secretary of the Interparliamentary Committee of the West African Economic and Monetary Union, and Vice-President of the Interparliamentary Committee of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. In the National People's Assembly, he also served as Chairman of the Committee for Economic Affairs and President of the Administrative Council. At PAIGC's Sixth Congress in May 1998, Gomes was elected to the party's Political Bureau, and at the party's Third Extraordinary Congress in September 1999 he was re-elected to the Political Bureau and also became the party's Secretary for Foreign Relations and International Cooperation.

Gomes was elected as President of PAIGC at the Fourth Extraordinary Congress in January-February 2002. He is a banker and businessman, reputed to be the richest man in Guinea-Bissau. PAIGC won the most seats in parliamentary elections conducted in March 2004, and Gomes became Prime Minister in May.

Prior to the victory of former president Vieira in the mid-2005 presidential election, Gomes said that he would resign if Vieira was elected, referring to the latter as a "bandit and mercenary who betrayed his own people". [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=47948&SelectRegion=West_Africa "Kumba Yala to back Nino Vieira in second round of presidential election"] , IRIN, July 4, 2005.] After Vieira's election, Gomes initially refused to recognize the result, but he also moved away from his earlier threat to resign. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=48716&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA-BISSAU "Prime minister says doesn't recognise new president but won't resign"] , IRIN, August 23, 2005.] Vieira took office on 1 October 2005, and almost two weeks later he and Gomes had a meeting, with Gomes anticipating that the two would be able to work together. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49544&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA-BISSAU "President, prime minister try to iron out tension, avert crisis"] , IRIN, October 13, 2005.] However, on 28 October Vieira announced the dissolution of Gomes's government, and a long-time ally of Vieira, Aristides Gomes, was appointed Prime Minister on 2 November 2005. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=49912 "President appoints controversial new prime minister"] , IRIN, November 2, 2005.]

Following the assassination of former navy commander Mohamed Lamine Sanha in early January 2007, Gomes accused Vieira of involvement in the killing in an interview with Lusa on January 8. A warrant was issued for Gomes's arrest on January 10, and when police tried to arrest him later that day he fled and took refuge in the United Nations building in Bissau. A spokesman for Gomes said that it would be unconstitutional to arrest him because he enjoyed immunity as a member of the National People's Assembly. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/10/africa/AF-GEN-Guinea-Bissau-Government.php "Former prime minister of Guinea-Bissau seeks asylum at U.N."] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), January 10, 2007.] A presidential spokesman accused Gomes of trying to destabilize the country. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=57027&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=GUINEA-BISSAU "Indicted former prime minister seeks refuge with UN"] , IRIN, January 10, 2007.] Gomes left the UN building on January 29, after the arrest warrant was dropped. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/30/africa/AF-GEN-Guinea-Bissau-Asylum.php "Former Guinea-Bissau prime minister quits U.N. protection after 19 days"] , Associated Press ("International Herald Tribune"), January 29, 2007.]

According to Gomes, he was misquoted in the interview that led to the arrest warrant. An investigating judge said that Gomes had not provided any proof for his claim of Vieira's involvement, and on December 20 2007 it was announced that Gomes had been charged with false testimony and slandering the head of state. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3045&art_id=nw20071220223709414C913888 "Bissau accuses former premier of slander"] , Reuters ("IOL"), December 21, 2007.]

Gomes sought re-election as President of PAIGC at the party's Seventh Ordinary Congress in June–July 2008. [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article&id_article=68258 "L’ancien Premier ministre bissau guinéen Carlos Gomis, réélu président du PAIGC"] , African Press Agency, July 2, 2008 fr icon.] Malam Bacai Sanhá, the party's presidential candidate in 2000 and 2005, challenged Gomes for the party leadership, [ [http://www.panapress.com/freenewspor.asp?code=fre043249&dte=12/02/2008 "Guinée Bissau: Le PAIGC en congrès le 3 avril à Gabu"] , Panapress, February 12, 2008 fr icon.] but Gomes was re-elected at the end of the congress on July 1–July 2, receiving 578 votes against 355 for Sanhá.

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