The Gabonese government quickly imposed a curfew and shut down the internet on Saturday evening after the closure of polling stations at the end of a day when Gabonese citizens were called to vote on whether or not to grant a third term to President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Just two hours later, the internet was shut down, and the Minister of Communication, Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou, announced on state television that the government was imposing a nightly curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting from Sunday, as well as the requirement to obtain authorization three days in advance for any meeting or demonstration.
He also confirmed the immediate “suspension” of the internet “until further notice and throughout the entire territory.” This was done in the name of the “national interest” to prevent “calls for violence” and “false information” on social media and to “prevent any overflow and ensure the security” of the population.
In the evening, the public television channel, citing the High Authority of Communication (HAC), also announced the “temporary ban on broadcasting in Gabon of the media outlets France 24, RFI, and TV5 Monde,” accusing them of “lack of objectivity and balance in their coverage of the ongoing general elections.”
On Saturday, around 850,000 Gabonese citizens were called to vote in the presidential, legislative, and municipal elections, all held in a single round of voting.
Ali Bongo, 64 years old, is seeking a third term against Albert Ondo Ossa, his main rival, who was supported by the majority of the opposition only shortly before the election.
After leaving the polling station, which opened eight hours late due to a lack of voting materials, Mr. Ondo Ossa criticized “fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters.” “At the end of the day, Albert Ondo Ossa must be declared the winner,” he thundered. Addressing the “international community,” he said, “The time has come for Ali Bongo to leave, there will be no negotiation.” He added, “I am not afraid of him.”
These elections were held without international observers, both African and European, and no foreign journalists were granted the requested accreditations or allowed to enter Gabon to cover the elections, as reported by Reporters Without Borders the day before.
Fourteen candidates were competing in the presidential election on Sunday, but only Mr. Ondo Ossa, who was designated as the common candidate by the main opposition parties, had a real chance of seriously challenging the incumbent.
At 69 years old, this economics professor at the University of Libreville promised to “oust” the head of state and his all-powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) from power through the ballot box, putting an end to the “Bongo dynasty” that has been in power for over 55 years, accused by the opposition of mismanagement and corruption.
Ali Bongo was first elected in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled Gabon for over 41 years.
Mr. Ondo Ossa, 69 years old and relatively unknown to the general public until recently, was chosen by the main opposition parties, gathered in the Alternance 2023 platform, just eight days before the election.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bongo systematically gathered thousands, if not tens of thousands, of supporters during a months-long tour of the country and a massive and highly publicized campaign in the past two weeks. In a six-day marathon, Mr. Ondo Ossa also attracted comparable crowds locally.
Many other polling stations across the country opened very late or remained closed, according to François Ndong Obiang, the president of Alternance 2023. Similarly, ballots in the name of Mr. Ondo Ossa were missing in “many polling stations,” and those of candidates who had officially withdrawn in his favor remained present in others, he accused, denouncing an “election organization prepared to create chaos.”
When asked by AFP about these accusations, the Gabonese Electoral Center (CGE), the body responsible for organizing the elections, declined to comment.
Mr. Ondo Ossa, a former minister under Omar Bongo, also urged the Gabonese people to “ignore” the legislative elections and focus on the presidential election because the CGE had introduced a single ballot paper for both votes at the last minute, linking the candidate for the presidency to the candidate from the same party for the parliamentary seat. The opposition accuses this process of favoring Mr. Bongo and the PDG.
As an independent candidate, without a party, Mr. Ondo Ossa promised to dissolve the future National Assembly if elected.
The opposition had already criticized a “change in the rules of the game” five months ago to tailor a reelection for the incumbent, by reducing the election to a single round, winnable by a relative majority for Mr. Bongo, against 13 candidates.
In 2016, he was reelected, but with a narrow margin of only 5,500 votes ahead of the opposition candidate Jean Ping, who denounced “fraud.”
An ischemic stroke in October 2018 left Mr. Bongo invisible for many months, and even after almost five years, part of the opposition continues to question his physical and intellectual abilities to lead Gabon. The majority, on the other hand, denounces campaigns focused on his health, “without any other program.”
Gabon is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of GDP per capita, thanks to its oil, manganese, and timber resources, among others. However, “the country struggles to translate the wealth of its resources into sustainable and inclusive growth,” and one-third (32.9%) of its population lives below the poverty line, as stated by the World Bank in April 2023.
With AFP