▁by ▁President ▁Is mail ▁O mar ▁Gu elle h ▁and ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁coal ition ▁government ▁with ▁Front ▁for ▁the ▁Rest oration ▁of ▁Unity ▁and ▁Dem ocracy ▁( FR UD ) ▁and ▁other ▁parties . ▁ ▁The ▁R PP ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁D ikh il ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁It ▁was ▁declared ▁the ▁sole ▁legal ▁party ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁retain ing ▁this ▁status ▁until ▁multip art y ▁politics ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁refer endum . ▁At ▁the ▁party ▁con gress ▁held ▁on ▁ 1 9 – 2 0 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁G ou led ▁A pt id on ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁as ▁R PP ▁President ▁and ▁a ▁ 1 2 5 - member ▁Central ▁Committee ▁was ▁elected . ▁It ▁cont ested ▁the ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁parliament ary ▁election ▁in ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁moder ate ▁fa ction ▁of ▁FR UD ▁( which ▁had ▁signed ▁a ▁peace ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁government ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 4 ), ▁and ▁this ▁al liance ▁won ▁ 7 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote , ▁taking ▁all ▁ 6 5 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁President ▁G ou led ▁A pt id on ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁ret ire ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁next ▁election , ▁and ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁con gress ▁of ▁the ▁R PP ,