Local media reported that protesters took to the streets of Libreville late Wednesday after poll results showed that president Ali Bongo Ondimba narrowly won re-election in a vote the opposition said was stolen.
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The official election result gave Mr Bongo a second seven-year term with 49.8 per cent of the vote to Mr Ping’s 48.2 per cent – a margin of 5,594 votes.
Ping has said the number of votes cast in southeastern Haut-Ogooue province were inflated to give victory to Bongo, whose family has ruled the central African oil-producing country for nearly half a century. There was no independent confirmation of the figure.
Opposition leader’s campaign director, Rene Obiang says the boycott will help to pressurize authorities to consent to a recount of votes.
The EU observer commission said in addition to not having full access to all districts within Bongo’s stronghold Haut-Ogooue province, voter turnout there appeared inflated.
On Tuesday, the African Union said it was ready to send a high-level delegation to Libreville to mediate.
Ping, a former diplomat and African Union Commission chairman, said he welcomed all efforts at mediation, adding: “We want democracy and peace to triumph”. But largely ignoring an earlier strike call by Ping, shopkeepers and government staff returned to work in the capital, Libreville, on Tuesday.
Global pressure is growing on Gabon’s government to show transparency in the vote results, with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday telling RTL radio that “common sense would command a recount of the ballots”.
GABONESE Justice Minister Seraphim Moundounga has resigned in protest over the disputed presidential election.
Oil-rich Gabon has one of the highest per-capita incomes in Africa, but few of its 1.6 million people feel the benefit. The National Assembly was set alight and badly damaged during last week’s protests.
He said he had no faith in the constitutional court because it was tied to the Bongo family and he wanted a recount done under worldwide supervision before any appeal to that court.
There have been more than 800 arrests and France says several people with dual French-Gabonese citizenship remain unaccounted for. Gabon is a former French colony.
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United Nations human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Tuesday that the agency was following the situation with “increased concern”.
