Passion or Profession: President

Period: 1950–

Throughout the 1990s, Bagabandi became an increasingly powerful politician. Then, in 1997, he was elected president when free-market reforms caused a public backlash against the previous president. He then focused heavily on modernizing the country, but some of his changes were met with resistance. Still, he was reelected in 2001 and served as president until 2004.