However riot police fired teargas to disperse around 100 opposition supporters in one neighbourhood, according to a Reuters witness. An Ivory Coast government spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Advertisement
The national election commission (Cenap) was due to announce the result on Tuesday at 5pm local time but delayed repeatedly.
Incumbent Ali Bongo and his family have ruled the central African country for half a century. Ali Bongo became president in 2009.
Former colonial ruler France’s foreign ministry said the manner in which the final results were announced on Wednesday was “a source of concern”.
That gave Bongo a total 49.9 percent of votes nationwide, narrowly defeating Ping’s 48.2 percent – or a win with a tiny margin of just 5,594 votes. He said he had told the American and French ambassadors in Libreville that he meant to guarantee the security of Bongo and his family. His camp has said figures from the president’s stronghold showed a 99% turnout.
As fears rose of a contested result and violence, the electoral commission and Bongo came under pressure from fellow politicians and the worldwide community to deliver a fair outcome.
A wounded supporter of Gabonese opposition leader Jean Ping lies on the ground in Libreville. He said he feared arms would be planted in his party headquarters and he could be arrested as a result.
The election followed a bitter campaign.
Several Libreville residents said social media, including Facebook and Twitter, were no longer working.
Results from the poll began leaking out from a meeting of the elections commission even before the interior minister’s official declaration. He’s called from every polling station for voting amounts to made public.
France is also keeping a close eye on the election in Gabon. It also called upon Gabon’s security forces to exercise restraint.
Advertisement
The Secretary-General’s spokesperson said that in the calls Mr. Ban commended the peaceful holding of the presidential election last Saturday, and welcomed the high voter turnout and the presence of a large number of national and global observers.
