President Ali Bongo Ondimba is seeking his third term. Can he resume his family’s rule again?
Around 850,000 eligible voters in Gabon have been called to vote for a new president and parliament since the morning hours. President Ali Bongo Ondimba is aiming for his third term in office and intends to continue his family’s more than 50-year rule in the West African country.
The opposition are given few chances after a last-minute change in the ballot papers. In the election, both Parliament and the President are voted on with just one vote. The party of the deputy also gets the vote for the presidential candidate at the same time.
The opposition sees this as deliberate election manipulation by the governing party, which limits the chances of an initially promising coalition of several parties led by non-party Albert Ondo Ossa. Ossa is the country’s former education minister.
A simple majority is enough to win the presidential election, and there are no plans for a runoff. Polling stations close at 6 p.m. local time.
The situation in Gabon
The Bongo family has ruled Gabon for more than half a century. In 2009, Ali Bongo Ondimba became head of state after the death of his father. He ruled the country for more than 40 years.
Despite its oil wealth, a large part of the population in the country of around 2.3 million people lives in poverty. Bongo won the last election in 2016 by just over 5,000 votes. Election observers had accused Bongo of electoral manipulation. Serious riots broke out as a result.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
