Elections: Gabon President Bongo to extend 56-year family dynasty

Gabonese voters go to the polls on Saturday for presidential, parliamentary, and local elections, which the opposition believes will derail President Ali Bongo’s attempt for a third term and bring an end to his family’s 56-year reign.

Voting begins at 0700 GMT across the Central African country, with 19 candidates on the ballot; however, six of the largest opposition parties have nominated a united candidature in an attempt to limit the fight to topple Bongo.

The vote is a much-anticipated litmus test for Bongo’s support. Detractors believe he has done too little to channel Gabon’s oil wealth to the third of the country’s 2.3 million poor, and they doubt his capacity to lead after a stroke in 2018.

On a wide-ranging campaign trail, Bongo, 64, has worked to dispel this image. He has vowed to increase job creation, expand microloan initiatives, and lower public school tuition.

The campaign has gone well, but many fear that the post-election period may be marred by turmoil similar to that seen following Bongo’s 2016 triumph. The opposition has challenged both of his prior election victories, alleging fraud.

Recent modifications to the voting system may complicate the aftermath even more, according to Remadji Hoinathy, a researcher at the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies. These include the use of a single ballot, which compels voters to select a presidential candidate and a legislator from the same party.

The modifications “might add more tension to the outcome of the elections, and then maybe contestations and maybe violence,” according to Hoinathy.

Although there has been no reputable polling, Bongo’s management has positioned him as the clear favourite to win the event.

• Military coup in Gabon, President Ali Bongo ousted

Albert Ondo Ossa, 69, an economics and management professor who has campaigned on the need for reform and greater economic prospects, is his major opponent. In a country where one in every three young people is unemployed and the great majority of the population has only known Bongo’s leadership, the pitch may be effective.

Large crowds attended Bongo and Ondo Ossa’s farewell rallies in Libreville on Friday.

“I am 67 years old, and I have never seen such enthusiasm for a candidate. “I am convinced that there will be a changeover in Gabon this year,” said pensioner Alain Moussavou during an opposition gathering.

Voting will begin once the polls close at 1700 GMT. It is unclear when the preliminary findings will be released.