GABON: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES STEP FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000321 SIPDIS AF/C FOR LISA KORTE E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL GB SUBJECT: GABON: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES STEP FORWARD Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Gabon,s election is shaping up to be the country,s first truly comprehensive election since independence. The ruling Democratic Party of Gabon (PDG) announced last week a July 4 deadline for submission of names of presidential candidates from the party's membership. In total, there are ten candidates in contention, including Defense Minister and PDG VP Ali Bongo, Prime Minister and PDG VP Eyeghe Ndong, Mines Minister Casmir Oye Mba, National Assembly VP Daniel Ona Ondo, and former Minister of Labor Christine Bitougat. Ruling out the possibility of a primary system to choose the party's candidate, PDG secretary General Faustin Boukoubi called for party unity and consensus in media interviews. The selection process will take place behind closed doors, with the name of the PDG candidate made public in the next few days at a party congress. Several independents have also announced their candidacy, and opposition leaders are expected to join the race. END SUMMARY. -------------- Ten Candidates -------------- ¶2. (U) The fight to become the ruling Democratic Party of Gabon,s (PDG in its French acronym) presidential candidate has begun. There are ten hopefuls who registered their intent in time for a July 4 deadline. The candidates are; 1) Ali Ben Bongo, Defense Minister and son of deceased President Omar Bongo, 2) Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong, 3) Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Hydrocarbons and former Prime Minister Casamir Oye Mba, 4) former minister and National Assembly Vice President Daniel Ona Ondo, 5) unionist and former Minister of Labor Christine Bitougat, 6) Doctor Stephane Iloko Boussiengui, 7) journalist Thiery Kombila d,Argendieu, 8) former Deputy Minister for Finance and Commerce Santurel Ngoma Mandoungou, 9) Banker and former Secretary of State Christian Raphael Gondjout, 10) and Regional Health Director for Woleu-Ntem Province Sany Megwazeb. Of the ten announced candidates, Bongo, Ndong, Oye Mba, Ona Ondo, and Bitougat are members of the PDG political bureau. ¶3. (C) The resources that that PDG can muster are formidable and it is widely believed that the PDG candidate will be the automatic favorite to capture the presidency. Besides having access to governmental resources as the ruling party of Gabon, as well as control of l,Union, the largest circulation paper in Gabon, the PDG is believed to have a large war chest to fund the upcoming election. Additionally, the PDG is the only party in Gabon with an already-exiting party network that reaches in to all nine provinces of the country. -------------- Ali Bongo Presumed Front Runner, But too Close to Call -------------- ¶4. (U) Referred to as the &Le Dauphin8 (crown prince in French) in the opposition press, Ali Bongo is widely considered to be front runner to win the PDG nomination. Bongo has reportedly recruited an American campaign consultant and is the furthest along in organizing a presidential campaign. He is also widely believed to have the greatest financial resources among PDG candidates. In a July 6 meeting, opposition leader Bruno Ben Moubamba told the embassy that Bongo has reportedly &paid off8 13 of the 21 Permanent Committee members of the PDG,s Political Bureau to secure their votes for the nomination. Prime Minister Egeyhe Ndong and Petroleum Minister Oye Mba are also considered to be front runners. Both have impressive credentials and, as members of the Fang ethnic group, the largest in Gabon, can count on considerable popular support. -------------- Consensus or Primaries? -------------- ¶5. (U) According to the PDG,s constitution, the party,s candidate should be chosen by a consensus process guided by the Permanent Committee within the Political Bureau. The consensus process proceeds behind closed doors and should be blessed by the party members at a congress. The congress is scheduled for later this week. ¶6. (U) Some party leaders, according to media reports, are LIBREVILLE 00000321 002 OF 002 calling for a primary system to select the candidate. Ruling out the possibility of a primary system to choose the party's candidate, PDG secretary General Faustin Boukoubi called for party unity and consensus in media interviews. Interim President and PDG member Rose Francine Rogombe followed a similar tack in her July 2 RFI interview. Other PDG leaders have pointed to the cost and time required for primaries as a prohibiting factor. ¶7. (C) In a June 30 meeting with the Ambassador, Constitutional Court President Madeleine Mbarantsuo candidly said that the PDG,s future would be determined by the process it follows to come up with one candidate for the election. If it abandons consensus-building or PDG leaders threaten to run as independent, then the PDG could split. ¶8. (U) The government newspaper l,Union published an article on July 6 that pointed to a &certain ambitious high cadre within the PDG8 as advocating a primary system that could split and divide the party. These individuals have become more active since the death of President Bongo. The article alluded to the risk of ðnicity8 entering into the election with the activities of these individuals. As the government mouthpiece, l,Union content is controlled by the PDG. -------------- The Opposition Gets Organized As Well -------------- ¶9. (C) So far there have been four official announcements of presidential candidates outside of the PDG; Silvere Obame Anguere, Bruno Ben Moubamba, ad Fr. Tomo Ernest. None of the announced candidates have party affiliations. In separate meetings with the Embassy, Chairman of the UPGG Zacharie Myboto and Minister of Development, Public Performance, Prospects and Statistics Anaclet Bissielo indicated that they are making preparations to run, but have held off on the final decision to do so. ¶10. (U) Media sources report that several youth organizations in support for Pierre Mamboundou, Paul Mba Abessole, and Defense Minister Ali Ben Bongo have held &spontaneous8 public rallies. Sufficient preparation has gone into at least one of these rallies, as observed from the sidelines, to provide Ali Bongo tee-shirts to the young participants. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (C) This election is shaping up to be the first truly competitive election since Gabon,s independence. The selection of the PDG candidate is proceeding in a way to provide assurances to the Gabonese public that the rule of law and democratic principles will remain the center of the electoral process. The PDG candidate is likely to be Ali Ben Bongo, though his selection as the PDG,s representative may lead to fractures and breaks in the party. END COMMENT. REDDICK