Gabonese opposition leader Jean Ping has said a constitution court ruling which upheld President Ali Bongo’s election victory was “unjust”. “(As) president clearly elected by the Gabonese people, I remain at your side to defend your vote and your sovereignty”, he said.
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Concern has been growing that a ruling in favour of Bongo, in power since the death of his long-ruling father Omar Bongo in 2009, could spark more of the deadly unrest Gabon saw after the president’s re-election was announced.
The government has said it would hold opposition leader Jean Ping responsible if clashes erupted following the ruling.
But he’s not the only one to criticise the electoral process: the European Union says the Gabonese have the right to question the election’s integrity.
The US embassy in Gabon called for the Constitutional Court to release details of its deliberations “to allow for transparency”.
“I look forward to inviting members of all political parties to join our efforts and come with us to the Cabinet”, he told Reuters in an interview.
However, he rejected the option of global mediation.
Chad’s president Idriss Deby, who also heads the African Union, said that the organisation had “taken note” of the Constitutional Court’s verdict.
Mr Ping had asked the court to re-examine results in the Haut-Ogooue province where Mr Bongo won 95% of the vote on a turnout of 99.9%.
Gabon’s constitutional court upheld incumbent President Bongo’s victory in last month’s presidential election early Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, raising fears of continued unrest as the Bongo family extended its political dynasty of almost half a century in the oil-rich country. “Among Gabonese, we know how to talk to each other”, he said.
The A.U. had dispatched a team of judges to monitor the work of the Constitutional Court.
Six people were killed earlier this month in riots that followed the interior minister’s declaration of Bongo as victor of the poll by fewer than 6,000 votes.
The opposition claims up to 100 people died.
Trucks full of police and soldiers were positioned at crossroads and roundabouts across the capital from early morning on Saturday.
Ping had warned the country could face serious instability if the court rejected his appeal for a recount.
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It was not immediately clear what additional recourse Ping might pursue in the aftermath of the announcement Bongo had won by 50.66 percent of the vote.
