General Brice Oligui Nguema will be sworn in as “president of the transition” on Monday, September 4, before the Constitutional Court, announced the coup leaders on Thursday. The new strongman of Gabon, who overthrew Ali Bongo, also announced the “progressive establishment of transitional institutions” and promised that the country will respect all “its external and internal commitments”.
Following the coup that overthrew Ali Bongo in Gabon, the committee of army chiefs announced on Thursday, August 31, that General Brice Oligui Nguema will be sworn in as “president of the transition” on Monday, September 4, before the Constitutional Court.
The new strongman of the country, who overthrew Ali Bongo Ondimba – who had just been reelected – by accusing his camp of rigging the presidential election results. He also announced the “progressive establishment of transitional institutions” and promised that the country will respect all “its external and internal commitments”.
“The president of the transition will be sworn in before the Constitutional Court on Monday, September 4, 2023, at the Presidential Palace,” announced Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesperson for the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI), which brings together all the army chiefs.
General Oligui has also “decided (…) to progressively establish transitional institutions,” the duration of which has not been specified, and “instructed all secretaries-general, ministerial cabinets, general directors, and all heads of state services to immediately ensure the effective resumption of work and the continuity of the functioning of all public services,” according to the spokesperson.
The transitional president “wishes to reassure all donors, development partners, as well as the state’s creditors, that all necessary measures will be taken to guarantee the respect of our country’s commitments both externally and internally,” concluded Colonel Manfoumbi Manfoumbi.
The opposition asks the junta to complete the vote count
Furthermore, Gabon’s main opposition platform has asked the coup leaders to complete the counting of the ballots to recognize the “victory” of its candidate.
The Alternance 2023 platform has also “invited the defense and security forces to a discussion in order to assess, in a patriotic and responsible framework, the situation and to find, among Gabonese, the best solution” to “allow the country to emerge stronger from this situation”.
“Present at each polling station and having overseen the transportation of ballot boxes, the security and defense forces are the first witnesses to the overwhelming victory of Professor Albert Ondo Ossa,” said Mike Jocktane, spokesperson for Alternance 2023, in a press conference.
According to the officially proclaimed results one hour before the coup, which the coup leaders deemed rigged, Albert Ondo Ossa had received 30.77% of the votes against 64.27% for Ali Bongo, who has been in power for 14 years.
After warmly thanking the army, on behalf of the “grateful nation,” for “standing up against an electoral coup” and thus “saving” Gabon from the “loss of human lives,” Mike Jocktane invited them to “supervise” the “resumption of the process of centralizing the results” of the Saturday presidential election, which “will see Mr. Ondo Ossa’s victory in the ballot boxes officialized”.
With AFP