Gabon : Who really won the presidential election in Gabon

20 Septembre 2016

Gabon-Politics- Disputed vote

 LIBREVILLE,  September 20  (Infosplusgabon) – According  to  an  article published on  Monday  by  the editorial  board of  the  New York Times, for nearly 42 years, Omar Bongo ruled Gabon, presiding over a system of patronage that funneled much of the country’s oil wealth to his family, his clan and his cronies, while leaving most Gabonese short of housing, education, hospitals and hope.

 When Mr. Bongo died in 2009, his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, succeeded him, winning an election marred by allegations of fraud and followed by violence. Many Gabonese hoped a new presidential election held on Aug. 27 would be different. That hope has been dashed. 

 After election results last Wednesday gave Mr. Bongo a slim victory over his main challenger, Jean Ping, violence erupted in Libreville, the capital. Mr. Bongo responded by sending in the army and temporarily suspending the internet. At least six people died and more than 1,000 were arrested.

 Calm has returned to Libreville, but the election result remains in dispute. While Mr. Bongo has been officially declared the winner, Mr. Ping has independently proclaimed himself president, saying he won by “a substantial vote margin.” The main problem is the incredibly high number of votes in Mr. Bongo’s home district that tipped victory in the incumbent’s favor: Officials reported 99.9 percent voter turnout there, which seemed suspect, with 95 percent of the votes going to Mr. Bongo.

The United States, the European Union and France have called for a detailed recount. But Mr. Bongo’s spokesman, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze, has rejected that idea, saying: “Recounting votes polling station by polling station is out of the question.” This only deepens suspicions of fraud and undermines Mr. Bongo’s claim to govern. That claim grew more fragile on Monday, when Gabon’s justice minister, Seraphim Moundounga, long a member of Mr. Bongo’s inner circle, resigned in protest over the election result.

 After his election in 2009, Ali Bongo promised to tackle corruption and increase opportunities for the many Gabonese who have seen little benefit from the country’s oil wealth — almost a third of the people live in poverty. And, if Mr. Bongo clings to power while avoiding transparency on the voters’ true intentions, he could put Gabon’s stability, and its future prosperity, at risk. 

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/MOL/GABON2016

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