Gabonese presidential election, 2016

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Gabonese presidential election, 2016
Gabon
2009 ←
28 August 2016

  Ali Bongo Ondimba, 2012.jpg Jean Ping 080202-F-1644L-081 0YWDF.jpg
Nominee Ali Bongo Ondimba Jean Ping
Party PDG UFC

Incumbent President

Ali Bongo Ondimba
PDG



Coat of arms of Gabon.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Gabon
Foreign relations

Presidential elections were held in Gabon on 27 August 2016.[1]

Electoral system[edit]

The President of Gabon is elected for a seven-year term in a single round of voting by plurality; whichever candidate places first is deemed elected, regardless of whether the candidate secured a majority of votes. This system is thought to be a disadvantage to the fractious opposition, which would appear to have little chance of winning unless it united behind a single candidate.[2]

Candidates[edit]

As expected, President Ali Bongo Ondimba announced in Port-Gentil on 29 February 2016 that he would stand for re-election.[2]

Ultimately, 19 prospective candidates submitted applications to stand, and the Autonomous and Permanent National Electoral Commission (CENAP) announced on 15 July 2016 that 14 of them had been deemed eligible.[3] Most notably, CENAP approved the candidacy of President Bongo despite a long-standing controversy about his eligibility; his opponents claimed that he was not Gabonese by birth and was an adopted rather than biological son of Omar Bongo. Due to the presence of representatives of the opposition, there was no consensus regarding Bongo's candidacy, and it was therefore approved by majority vote.[4] Jean Ping, a prominent diplomat standing as the candidate of the Union of the Forces of Change, and viewed by some as Bongo's most serious challenger, was also approved to stand. The other candidates to be approved were Casimir Oye Mba of the National Union, Paul Mba Abessole of the Rally for Gabon, Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou of the Social Democratic Party, Augustin Moussavou King of the Gabonese Socialist Party, and several independent candidates: Guy Nzouba Ndama, Raymond Ndong Sima, Bruno Ben Moubamba, Laurent Désiré Aba'a Minko, Gérard Ella Nguema, Abel Mbombe Nzoudou, Dieudonné Minlama Mintogo, and Léon Paul Ngoulakia.[3]

Campaign[edit]

The official campaign period began on 13 August 2016. Speaking at a campaign rally, Bongo dismissed the controversy about his parentage, noting that "the burden of proof rests on the one who makes the accusation" and arguing that the opposition was focusing on the issue "because they don't have a good program".[5] In an interview he criticized the opposition's focus on "ridiculous things" rather than his record as President over the previous seven years.[6] While campaigning, he spoke about fighting corruption and highlighted his record of infrastructure development. His campaign slogan was "Let's change together".[7]

Eventually, in mid-August, key opposition candidates decided to unite behind Jean Ping in order to improve the opposition's chances of defeating Bongo, as holding the vote in a single round would presumably work heavily to Bongo's advantage as long as the opposition remained fragmented.[5] Guy Nzouba Ndama, Casimir Oye Mba, Léon Paul Ngoulakia, and Aba'a Minko withdrew their candidacies to support Ping.[8] The government criticized the move to rally behind Ping as "horse trading whose only aim is to share out privilege and power".[9]

As the main opposition leaders had served prominently under Omar Bongo (and then gone into opposition after his death), Ping was characterized as the candidate of "the old guard of Bongo senior's cronies". A weakening economy due to the decline in oil prices was thought to have contributed to dissatisfaction with the government and was considered a factor that could improve the opposition's chances.[7]

Voting and subsequent events[edit]

The election was held on 27 August 2016. A day later, on 28 August, Ping declared victory and said that he was "waiting for the outgoing president to call to congratulate me", although no results had been officially announced.[10] Only the electoral commission was legally permitted to announce results, and the Minister of the Interior, Pacôme Moubelet-Boubeya, accused Ping of "attempt[ing] to manipulate the democratic process", while Bongo said that "you must not sell the skin of the bear before you've killed him". Nevertheless, Bongo's spokesman, Alain Claude Bilie By Nzé, asserted that Bongo was ahead and would be re-elected.[11]

References[edit]