Election placards along the main highways of Libreville, capital of Gabon, praise President Ali Bongo and his Gabonese Democratic Party for building kilometers of tarmac roads, creating new jobs and attracting foreign investment. Bongo is seeking to convince voters that his plans for modernization and development can turn Gabon into an emerging economy. His critics accuse him of wanting to install a dictatorship. Bongo’s rival for the presidency is Jean Ping, a former chairman of the African Union Commission and leader of the Gabonese Progress Party. The popular 74-year-old is promising reforms and is critical of the current condition of the Gabonese judiciary. “One of the most important measures that we must carry out is to restore the independence and credibility of the justice system,” he said. In his campaign speeches, Ping says he wants more democracy. He is also promising improvements to infrastructure and health.
President Ali Bongo has been in office since 2009 when he won an election after the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, an autocrat who ruled the country for 42 years. The son emerged as the most successful candidate in the 2009 poll, clearly outpacing his rivals. The opposition alleged that the vote had been marred by irregularities, but their appeal to the Constitutional Court was unsuccessful.
According to World Bank figures from 2013, Gabon has a population of 1.7 million and because of its oil wealth it has one of the highest per capita incomes in Africa at $11,500 (10,200 euros). This is almost four times the GDP of Nigeria ($3,000), Africa’s biggest economy. But the revenue from oil, wood and mineral exports lands mostly in the pockets of a small political elite.
Full Article: Uncertainty ahead of Gabon elections | Africa | DW.COM | 25.08.2016.