Gabon’s first election after the collapse of the Bongo Dynasty: What about it? | Election News

The small African people Gabon voice on Saturday in his first executive elections from AA Military coup 2023. Years He graduated from the 50-year-old dynastic rule of the political family of Bongo.

Brice Clotaite Oligui Nguema, president of the leading state grief, is the main candidate among four competitors and is widely expected to win the elections, despite the controversial reforms that experts say they were said to be eligible for voting.

Located in western central Africa, at the Atlantic coast, Gabon is rich in extracts like crude oil. The country, with 2.2 million inhabitants, is also part of the Vital Congo Basin and has millions of hectares of rainforests full of varieties of plant and animal species.

However, these natural resources have not been translated into a significant distribution of wealth, as a single family and a small political elite ruled countries in the last five decades. The opposition is weak, experts say; Press is largely without teeth; And Gabonese are distrustful of politicians.

Located right on the equator, Gabon’s Lingua Franca is French, and local languages ​​include Fang, Mber and several others. Libreville, Brežni Coastal capital, is the largest city, followed by the port city of Luke-Gentil.

Here’s what to know about voting:

When is the voting – and how did Gabon come here?

• Presidential vote It will be held in nine province in the country on Saturday, 12. April from 19:30 to 17 hours local time (06: 30-17: 00 GMT).
• The campaigns began on March 29th and end 11. April. Voting is mandatory for adults.
• The elections are held a few months 2025. August, the military announced after 30. August 2023, a state attack that completed the authority of the former President Ali Bongo Ondi (2009 – 2023).
• State stroke, Part of the wave of military downloads The results of the presidential election were published on the continent on the same day. Ondimba was declared a winner with 60 percent votes for the third term. The opposition, led by Albert Ondo Oss from the Alternative Party, challenged the elections.
• Onbad took over the death of President Omar Bong, his father (1967-2009). Between them, the father-son Duo ruled Gabon for 56 years.
• Legislative elections have not been published. They are currently being a bicarameric house staff with representatives appointed by the military government.

Who runs?

Four candidates, all the male, was approved by the Faculty of Election.

Everyone works independently. This is because candidates want to distance from the former governance gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), Douglas, a professor at the US Graduate School in Paris, Al Jazeera said. Pdg is in power since 1967. year with a small opposition and represents the only truly established entertainment.

Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema (50): As the chief of the royal guard, Nguema led a state attack that overthrown former President Ali Bong, who is his cousin, 30. August 2023. Years.

The military general previously served as Aide-de-Camp in Omar Bongo before he published her overseas in Morocco and Senegal. He then returned to lead an elite royal guard, which protects the president, the post he held until they occupy power.

After the croup, Nguema promised to hand over the civilian government within two years. He complained to quickly moving towards that transition, unlike the colleague of the military government in West African countries Mali, Niger, Burkine Faso and Guinea. He succeeded and hold ties with Gabon’s former colonial leader, French, while others have active Stop ties with French.

The new constitution confirming strict two-hand limits was adopted after the November referendum.

Nguema promises to “rise” and to convert Gabon economically. He cleaned his military picture since the croups, sports suits and the shirt in the packaged, whispered campaigns. In one, they saw him on the moon on stage to a loud applause from his supporters.

Alain Claude Bilie-By-Nze (57): In a country in which the opposition was historically weak due to the decades of elections that are widely inspected as marshmed, Bilie-By-Nze represents the biggest challenge of Nguem.

A career politician, unlike many of his elite colleagues, comes from a low-income background. In 2015, he entered the policy and continued to serve several ministerial positions under Ali Bong. He was the prime minister to the 2023 coup. Years.

He supported him together for the Gabon political group, Bilie-By-Nze chose a campaign with a low key door to the door in the case to the election. He tried to file his role in the previous government – even criticized the ex-ruling Party of the PDG, which was part of until 2023. years. His promises “Another Gabon” include a focus on urban renewal, better health insurance and overall economic growth.

However, experts say it is difficult for many voters to trust him.

“Despite the efforts to distance himself from his past, everyone knows that he was the last Prime Minister Ali Bongo, and thus stated,” they said, “said” they said, “they said,”

Stephane Germain Iloko Boussengui: The medical doctor, popularly known as Iloko, used to be a spokesperson for the former ruling PDG party before the fallow stroke. He formed together for Gabon Group with By-Nze, but the two confused, which led to Ilok’s outlay in March.

His myths are colorful: in a campaign in Libreville, Iloko wore traditional envelopes and danced with his supporters, who connected T-shirts with their photographs.

Despite his political past, Iloko claimed that “the candidate for the people who pushed 56 years” in an interview with the local Publication L’Union.

He claimed that he tried in the right thing in the last government, but often went off. It promises now that they will provide work and build roads and schools, especially in rural areas. He also wants to reduce the government and increase the benefit of teachers. As a careful critic of the military government, Iloko called for the establishment of an independent election commission, saying that the new Constitution was established in November, giving presidents too power.

Joseph Lapensee Essingone (53): Technocrat, Essingone is the director in the country’s tax. Educated in Gabon and France, presented himself as a new person in politics, without relationships for the abolished past administrations.

Essingone says he wants “Ruptura” of the current political system and server in economic reforms. He promised the end of poor resource management and poor management if chosen.

Continue Bongo regime?

Nguema is ready to win the election, the analysts agree.

His supporters praised him to take steps toward the civilian rule, including:

• Last April, he called for a one-month “inclusive national dialogue” involving civil society and the diaspora members as one of the steps to return to the civil rule.
• He monitors the writing of the new Constitution confirming the strict two-hand limits. Before the election, Nguema also broke out the infrastructure projects that went after the leader: Construction more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of new roads and distributions for more than 400 taxes for people who will generate employment.

However, his critics quickly point out that Nguem remains a part of the same establishment, which in Gabon ruled for decades and allegedly wanted wealth of these links.

• They claim that the national dialogue has largely involved military delegates.
• His transitional cabinet included some bongo-era officers, critics further indicate, and PDG but Bongo supported its candidacy.
• Although Gabonos rules do not allow transition presidents to run for the office, the new Constitution brought it in November. Critics say it is designed for Nguems to run, although prohibited from some established opposition leaders due to age.
• The Constitution also conveyed the coordination of the elections for the Ministry of the Interior instead of an independent commission.

“As we have seen with another military attacking power in Africa, these transitions are accompanied by the levels of civil freedoms, political participation and transparency,” said Hany Wahila analyst from the African Center for Strategic Studies in the United States for Strategic Studies.

“Those who criticized the military regime in Gabon were the target of intimidation. What we see, therefore, resembles the existing unequal process, not progressing,” she added.

Nevertheless, the fact that Nguema moved forward on his election promises, and the development of the infrastructure kickstaved was progress, they said that the two American graduate school in Paris. The alternative, they said, said, kept Gabon stuck.

“Its most unique quality is that, unlike a young man who had been inherited by Bongo dynastic wealth, Oligui Nguema actually lives in Gabon,” they say they said.

He thought of Alija Bong’s first son based in London, 33-year-old Noureddin Bongo, which is Currently in home arrest In Gabon, the charges of betrayal and fraud, together with the mother and French, Sylvia Bongo. The new Constitution of Nguem banned the people of Dual Citizenship to run for the presidency, the relocation of many believe it is directed at the heir to Bongo. But I was bongo acquitted From custody soon after the croup and remains in the capital.

Gabon’s democracy may still be young, but she added Yates on her way.

“As far as” true democracy “, prefer to measure that concept on the ordinal scale of” more “” less “democracy. Here the measurement improved,” he said.

What else?

• The results will be published within two weeks of votes.
• Analysts say that the probability of “free and fair” choices in Gabon is muffled because of its voice history.
• There are also concerns about violence. In 2016, the opposition protests erupted after but Bongo announced the winner.

• 2023. Year, a state attack originated as tensions began to grow in the country, although the violence was not imposed.