GABON: BONGO'S NEW GOVERNMENT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000023

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2019
TAGS: PGOV PINR GB
SUBJECT: GABON: BONGO'S NEW GOVERNMENT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE
OLD

REF: A. 08 LIBREVILLE 0488

B. LIBREVILLE 016 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Poloff Leslie Doumbia for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Following weeks of public hints that a government
shakeup was imminent, Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo
Ondimba announced a modest cabinet reshuffle January 14. The
already-bloated cabinet grew from 43 to 48 positions
(including deputy ministers). The new government, while it
does include a handful of new faces, is comprised mostly of
the same cast of characters playing the same roles: Prime
Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong kept his job, as did the foreign,
finance and defense ministers. Bongo's promised "opening" of
government to a broader range of opposition figures did not
occur. There were, however, a fews surprises for close
observeers of the Gabonese political scene. These may
indicate more changes to come. END SUMMARY.

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MORE OF THE SAME
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2. (C) Bongo had trumpeted his desire for change in several
speeches, including a New Year's Eve address to the nation in
which he leveled blistering criticism of his own government's
ineffectiveness in meeting the needs of the people. He
publicly charged Prime Minister Eyeghe Ndong with proposing a
new government of action and "opening" to the political
opposition (much of which has already been co-opted into
Bongo's broad coalition government.


3. (C) According to the government-sponsored daily
newspaper, L'Union, the new government announced January 14
is comprised of a "combination of (members of the
presidential) majority, representatives of the opposition,
and members of civil society. In reality, despite a few new
faces, many of the key players in the government have
maintained their positions. Despite criticism of his failed
"road map" to improve government performance, Prime Minister
Ndong survived the reshuffle, along with, recently appointed
Foreign Minister Paul Toungui and Finance Minister Blaise
Louembe (ref. A). Long-standing Minister of Defense Ali
Bongo and Minister of Interior Andre Mba Obama also remain in
place, as do the vast majority of their cabinet colleagues.
A detailed list of the new cabinet will be sent in septel.

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SO WHAT'S NEW?
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4. (C) Bongo's decree did bring some relative unknowns into
the political arena. Newcomers include Minister of
Development, Public Performance, and Statistics Anaclet
Bissielo and Deputy Minister of Forest, Water, and Fishing
Economy Fabien Mere. Neither are members of the political
establishment, and both have frequently criticized the
government. Bissielo, a professor, and Mere, a lawyer, have
worked closely with the Embassy for a number of years on
various issues. When contacted about their appointments,
both claimed that there were completely surprised. Anaclet
said he found out about his new position on the evening news.
Anaclet was a participant in the International Visitor (IV)
program in 2006 and is expected to give a speech at the
Embassy's Martin Luther King Day event scheduled for January

20. Mere participated in a panel discussion at a public
diplomacy event centered on the recent U.S. presidential
elections.


5. (C) Former Minister of Higher Education Dieudonne Pambo,
Minister of Scientific Research and Technological Development
Albert Ondo Ossa and Deputy Minister of Public Function
Gisele Eyang Ntoutome were among the handful of officials
dropped from cabinet completely. More surprisingly, Minister
of Transport and Civil Aviation Jean-Boniface Assele,
considered a long-shot contender to lead Gabon in the
post-Bongo era, was also ousted. Assele, though ostensibly
in an opposition party, is a hard-nosed political organizer
and a proven survivor of Gabonese politics. He is also the
brother of the president's former wife, singer Patience
Dabany. Assele's political career should not be considered
over.


6. (C) Other victims in the reshuffle may be nearing the end
of their political careers. These include senior figures who
were not dismissed, but who appear to be further
marginalized. Former Minister of Tourism Idriss Ngari, a
career army officer and former defense minister hailing from

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the same ethnic group and home province of President Bongo,
was once considered by some to be a possible contender for
the presidency. His political standing, however, has waned
since 1999 when he was replaced as Minister of Defense by his
long-time rival Ali Bongo, the president's son. Ngari has
now been named Minister of Health, a position often held by
women in Gabon, and a perceived demotion. Also demoted was
Richard Onuviet, once a powerful Minister of Mining and
Petroleum, who is now named the Minister of Decentralization
and Urban Policy. Onuviet had a reputation for both
corruption and prickliness when he was Minister of Mining and
Petroleum. Former Minister of Justice Martin Mabala, a
non-lawyer who butted heads with some of the professionals in
his ministry, was handed the less-significant Ministry of
Parliamentary Relations and Constitutional Institutions.

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COMMENT
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7. (C) This reshuffle represents at best an incremental
change in government's profile, perhaps slightly
strengthening the position of Minister of Defence Ali Bongo
in succession jockeying, slightly broadening the number of
political tendencies represented in cabinet, and slightly
increasing the number of ministers with technical expertise
and a background in civil society. The wholesale change many
Gabonese believe is necessary to address the rising cost of
living and the deterioration in government services simply
did not occur. There are rumors that further changes are in
the offing, but for now the aging President has chosen to
rearrange, not reform, his under-performing government. End
Comment.
REDDICK