Gabon’s foreign minister on Saturday used his address at the United Nations to call on world governments to help rebuild his country’s unity after the contested re-election of President Ali Bongo.
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LIBREVILLE, Sept 24 Gabon opposition leader Jean Ping on Saturday rejected what he said was an “unjust” ruling by the Constitutional Court that upheld the victory of President Ali Bongo in an August 27 poll that he claimed had been tarnished by fraud.
Ping had warned the country could face serious instability if the court rejected his appeal for a recount. “As I promised you as the president clearly elected by the Gabonese, I will remain by your side to defend your vote and your sovereignty”.
Ali Bongo came to power in a contentious 2009 election following the death of his father Omar Bongo, who was president of Gabon for 42 years.
Jean Ping appears to be in no mood to back down.
The opposition leader said the constitutional court was biased.
“The confidence of the Gabonese people in the integrity of the electoral process may, legitimately, have been put in doubt”, it said in a statement.
This time round the security forces have been very evident on the streets of the capital Libreville and elsewhere, and most people seem to be staying indoors.
In an interview with Reuters on Saturday Mr Bongo called for political dialogue.
“We don’t need worldwide mediation”.
“We have given to the Gabonese people a masquerade election”.
Gabon opposition leader Jean Ping (C), flanked by former minister René Ndemezo’o Obiang (L) and former Prime Minister Jean Eyegué Ndong (R), speaks to journalists in Libreville on September 8, 2016.
Bongo took 50.66 percent of the vote against 47.24 percent for Ping, the court ruled, putting the incumbent president’s margin of winning votes at 11,000 – up from the fewer than 6,000 votes initially announced after the August 27 election day. There were long queues at banks and supermarkets on Friday and the French embassy told its citizens to stay indoors.
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The Constitutional Court reviewed the vote and cancelled some results following allegations of fraud, but said the overall result stood.
