Hussain Muhammad Ershad vs Robert Guei

On March 24, 1982, Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad seized power in a bloodless coup, suspending the constitution and imposing martial law. He cited corruption and economic mismanagement under the civilian government as justification.

Ershad founded the Jatiya Party in 1986 as his political vehicle to legitimize his rule. The party won parliamentary elections that year, though the polls were widely boycotted by opposition parties and criticized as rigged.

Faced with a massive pro-democracy uprising led by the Awami League and BNP, Ershad resigned on December 6, 1990. He handed power to a caretaker government, ending his eight-year military rule and restoring parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh.

General Robert Guei led a military coup on December 24, 1999, overthrowing President Henri Konan Bedie. Guei cited corruption and political instability as reasons, becoming the first military ruler of Cote d'Ivoire since independence.

Guei organized a presidential election in October 2000. When early results showed opposition candidate Laurent Gbagbo leading, Guei attempted to annul the vote and declare himself winner. Mass protests forced him to flee, and Gbagbo assumed power.

During the 2002 Ivorian Civil War, Guei was killed on September 19, 2002, in Abidjan. His death occurred amid a failed coup attempt against President Gbagbo. The circumstances remain disputed, with some reports suggesting he was executed by government forces.