Charles Lamarque-Cando

Charles Lamarque-Cando (12 January 1901 – 30 November 1989) was a French politician. Biography Lamarque-Cando was born on 12 January 1901 in Onard. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a schoolteacher. Lamarque-Cando attended a normal school in Mont-de-Marsan and began his teaching career at a French-language school in San Sebastián, Spain. Upon his return to France, Lamarque-Cando continued teaching at Aire-sur-Adour, and became politically active. He served as federal secretary of the and soon joined the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO). In February 1934, Lamarque-Cando founded an anti-fascist organization, and joined a socialist association based in Landes, serving as the latter group's secretary from September 1936. Lamarque-Cando won his first political office in the February 1936 cantonal elections with 62 percent of the vote, and immediately planned to contest the 1936 French legislative elections. He received 47 percent of the vote, and was not seated to the Chamber of Deputies. He was, however, reelected a general councillor representing Sabres in October 1937. In 1941, Lamarque-Cando organized a group of French Resistance members in Mont-de-Marsan affiliated with Libération-Nord. Among its membership was Marcel David. While allied with the French Forces of the Interior, Lamarque-Cando worked within a network led by Maurice Buckmaster of the Special Operations Executive. Lamarque-Cando was awarded the Resistance Medal and the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 for his actions during World War II. His political career resumed after the war, as he returned to the Sabres seat on the general council, and chaired the body from September 1945 to April 1949. Lamarque-Cando was ranked first on the SFIO party list in Landes, and won election to the Constituent Assembly in October 1945, as 59,599 of 122,610 total votes were cast for the SFIO. He voted to approve the new French constitution devised during the tenure of the First Constituent Assembly. However, citizens rejected the drafted constitution via referendum, necessitating elections for the Second Constituent Assembly, to which Lamarque-Cando was also elected, as the SFIO party list claimed 52,419 of 134,850 votes. Lamarque-Cando voted to approve the second draft of the constitution, as did the majority of citizens who voted in an October referendum.