OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS SLIGHTLY REDUCE RULING

UNCLAS LIBREVILLE 000001

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM GB
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS SLIGHTLY REDUCE RULING
PARTY DOMINANCE

REF: A. LIBREVILLE 712

B. LIBREVILLE 598


1. Summary: Gabon's ruling party won 81 out of 120 seats in
the National assembly; other candidates expected to support
the government won an additional 21 seats. Opposition
parties have a larger presence than in the past, with 17
seats. Electoral reforms may have contributed to greater
transparency, as the Constitutional Court reversed the
results announced by the Minister of Interior in three
constituencies. End summary.


2. On December 27 the Constitutional Court declared official
the results of Gabon's December 17 and December 24
legislative elections. Losing candidates have 15 days to
appeal and present evidence to overturn results. The Court,
which based its rulings on the official results reported by
polling places, changed two results and declared that one
constituency would require a new election. The court also
announced sanctions against a number of candidates for
campaign violence and vandalism. The official results give
the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) 81 seats, parties
allied with the PDG 16 seats, opposition parties 17 seats and
independent/other candidates 5 seats. Mba Abessole' Rally
for Gabon (RPG) and Pierre Mamboundou's Union of Gabonese
Patriots (UPG) each won 8 seats.


3. The Court's decision to change several winning candidates
announced by the Minister of Interior was unprecedented in
Gabon and is being widely applauded as a sign of increased
fairness. Two of the overturned candidates were PDG members
and the third was a senior leader of a close ally of the PDG.
President Bongo in May agreed to the long-standing demand of
opposition parties that they be given official copies of
polling place results. The fact that the opposition parties
had these documents virtually forced the Court to overturn
the announced results.


4. The voter participation rate was low in cities, but higher
in rural areas. Nationwide, 37% of registered voters cast
ballots. Many constituencies have few registered voters
allowing well-organized campaigns to get out the vote easily.
For example, Minister of Interior Ngari's constituency in
the province of Haut Ogooue had 4516 voters registered. 4369
(97%) voted, and 4364 of them (99.9%) voted for Ngari.
Defense Minister (and Presidential son) Ali Bongo Ondimba had
the second highest rate of support; 88% of 2411 voters turned
out, and 97.5% of them voted for Ali. Nationwide, 52% of
those casting votes gave their support to a candidate from
the ruling PDG, 8% voted for the UPG, 8% for Zachary Myboto's
Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development (UGDD) and 6%
for the RPG.


5. Comment: This election confirms the dominance of the
ruling party, although it gives opposition parties a greater
voice than they have had in the past. The Constitutional
Court's decision could be seen as evidence of impartiality or
simply as recognition that electoral reforms make old habits
unsustainable. It is being seen by some as a rebuke aimed at
the Minister of Interior--who was several months ago sharply
criticized for allegedly seeking to sell Gabonese territory
to Equatorial Guinea (Ref B).
WALKLEY