Dictators who came back through elections?

score:16

Accepted answer

The person that comes to mind is Getulio Vargas of Brazil. He first took power in 1930, in a military-backed coup, after being defeated in a Presidential race, ousting the outgoing President and President-elect. He ruled as a virtual dictator until 1945, at which time he was forced to step down from the Presidency, and allow democratic elections, because his participation in World War II alongside the Allies had undercut the legitimacy of his quasi-Fascist regime, the so-called Estado Novo.

In 1948, after his successor, Gaspar Dutra had wasted the foreign exchange reserves accumulated by the country during World War II, Vargas was re-elected President by democratic means. When right-wing military officers thwarted his statist policies (following the creation of "national" steel, mining, petroleum, and electric companies) he "fell on his sword" by committing suicide/ But he left a suicide note that stymied his enemies, and thereby maintained Brazilian democracy for several more Presidential elections, until 1964.

Upvote:-3

I'm back to suggest an answer to my own question

In 2005, Viktor Yanukovych was declared as the winner of the presidential elections but protesters, out crying massive electoral fraud, led to the nullification of the run-off. Viktor Yanukovych lost the second run-off.

In 2010, Viktor Yanukovych won the elections and became (for the second time?) the president of Ukraine.

Upvote:-1

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for, but Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix was Dictator of the Roman Republic in 82-81 BC, and then willingly resigned before running for the election as a Consul in 80 BC.

During his time as Dictator his power was absolute with no expiration and he made numerous constitutional reforms.

Upvote:0

Hugo Chavez in Venezuela violently tried to overthrow Carlos Andrea Perez in 1992 he then came to power through elections in 1999. After he gainned control by overtaking institutions and since 2004 we dont have fair and transparente elections.

Upvote:0

Park Chung-hee was a military dictator of South Korea in the 60s and 70s. He was assassinated. His daughter Park Geun-hye, who at one point was acting First Lady of South Korea, was democratically elected president in February 2013.

Upvote:2

It does not meet your popular revolution criterion, but an example is the current President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari who was head of state from 1983 to 1985 (a major-general installed by coup, removed by a different coup), and was democratically elected President in 2015, defeating the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, after coming second in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Upvote:3

Two examples I can think of: Olusegun Obasanjo and Daniel Ortega.

Upvote:5

What about Simeon II of Bulgaria?

After WW2, he was exiled:

On 15 September 1946, a referendum was held in the presence of the Soviet army. It resulted in a 97% approval for republic and abolition of the monarchy. On 16 September 1946, the royal family was exiled from Bulgaria. Simeon II has never signed any abdication papersβ€”neither at that moment when he was nine years old, nor later

But he was elected and served as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2005.

EDIT, FOR A FEW NOTES:

  • It has been pointed out that Simeon II was under a regency, since he was a child.
  • It was also noted that Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy at the time of the regency. Actually, the Tarnovo Constitution, which used to be considered quite advanced back in the 19th century, had been heavily modified to give more power to the tzar. Furthermore, in 1935 Simeon's father, Boris III, had practically established a dictatorship:

    [...] he staged a counter-coup and assumed control of the country by establishing a regime loyal to him. The political process was controlled by the Tsar, but a form of parliamentary rule was re-introduced, without the restoration of the political parties. With the rise of the "King's government" in 1935 [...]

  • Someone could argue that the events that led to Simeon's deposition constitute a coup rather than a revolution.
  • The democratic regime with free elections is the capitalist republic established in 1989-1990, not the People's Republic of Bulgaria, which came after Simeon's deposition. I don't see any issues with the requirments in here.

More post

Search Posts

Related post