GABON: ELECTION OBSERVATION UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000386

SIPDIS

AF/C FOR LISA KORTE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL GB
SUBJECT: GABON: ELECTION OBSERVATION UPDATE

Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) The African Union (AU) pre-election evaluation
delegation led by Dr. Albert Tevoedjre, Mediator of Benin,
visited Libreville the week of August 10. The delegation
included former ministerial-level and election commission
officials from Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritius. Sent by AU
Peace and Security Commission President and former Gabon
foreign minister Jean Ping, the delegation met with Interim
President Rose Francine Rogombe, Minister of Interior Jean
Francois Ndongou and other officials responsible for carrying
out the election, presidential candidates, including Defense
Minister Ali Bongo Ondimba, and members of civil society.
Dr. Tevoedjre will return for the election with an AU
&goodwill8 delegation that will not function as an
observation mission. With regards to other election-related
delegations, we are not aware of any bilateral partners
sending observation teams. The international francophone
organization (OIF) intends to send an &information8
delegation. Meanwhile, the training of local election
observers has begun, though those observers have serious
questions about their role in the process. END SUMMARY.

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AU Will Send Goodwill Mission for the Election
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2. (C) The Ambassador met August 11 with the AU pre-election
evaluation delegation led by Dr. Albert Tevoedjre, Mediator
of Benin. Tevoedjre said he would return with an AU
delegation of about 40 members a week prior to the August 30
election. The AU team will be a &goodwill8 and
&friendship8 mission rather than an election observation
team, according to Tevoedjre, because it will have limited
travel outside Libreville and will not be able to cover
voters, bureaus throughout the country. Tevoedjre said he
will make no public statements regarding transparency or
fairness after the votes are in, but he intends to submit a
report following the election to Jean Ping and Gabon
officials.

3. (C) Tevoedjre said he came away from his meetings in
Libreville with a sense that the President and the government
were making their best efforts to establish the basis for a
fair election. However, they were not prepared for the
transition that was triggered by President Bongo,s death.
The difficulties surrounding the revision of the electoral
lists reflected the lack of preparation. As imperfect as the
electoral list is, Tevoedjre noted, it had served as the
basis for the last legislative elections and could be
updated.

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Ali Bongo and Too Many Candidates
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4. (C) Regarding the continued presence in the cabinet of
ruling party candidate and Defense Minister Ali Bongo (a
major complaint of opposition party and independent
candidates),Tevoedjre commented that Ali Bongo might resign
in a few days, at the start of the official two week campaign
period. Although he had no confirmation from Bongo,
Tevoedjre said the defense minister was well aware of the
controversy.

5. (C) Tevoedjre expressed concern about the large number of
candidates. He said it was hard to gauge the seriousness of
all 23 but assumed that alliances would be formed during the
two week campaign. Even with a reduced number of candidates,
the single round election could result in a victory with a
small percentage of votes and a close margin. Tevoedjre
commented that following the 2009 election, Gabon,s leaders
should review the single round format and its complications
and consider changes to election laws and the constitution.

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CEEAC and OIF Election Teams
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6. (C) Based on our discussions with Tevoedjre and diplomats
in Libreville, we have learned that the International
Organization for Francophone Countries (OIF) will field a
small &information8 team to meet with candidates,
government and civil society. The OIF delegation will arrive
a few days before the election and depart soon after. AU and
OIF contacts have been careful to correct any
misinterpretation that they are sending formal election
observers to Gabon. The Embassy has heard that the Economic

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Commission for Central Africa States (CEEAC) is also likely
to send a delegation for the election.

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Training for Gabonese Election Observers Underway
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7. (C) PREGESCO, a CEEAC-related entity funded by
CEEAC-partner nations, is conducting a three-day training
seminar this week for Gabonese election observers. PolOff
attended the openi.g beremny"and fibst`training wgsSilns.JFirQi-gour"Gabonu{ea|ventads(tartab i`iveD,k.`ti nmssd dy,QQeost,kf whm4w$Re$[o`AtfQPwkth0lCaka~d 0fkv!Tmn5budyb=QNGs ddrmkex!T(}semn@!ADt.,kgQ~Du8ipQ many attendees
privately assured PolOff that they would refuse to stay quiet
if they saw widespread or blatant fraud in the electoral
process.

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COMMENT
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8. (C) Tevoedjre,s comments reinforce our understanding of
the electoral landscape. The Interim President and her
government are struggling to keep up with the demands of a
snap election. Besides public calls by the opposition for
Ali Bongo to step down, we are unaware of any plans by Bongo
to step away from the Minister of Defense position, though
such a move this late in the game would be little more than
symbolic. The discontent by the PROGESCO election observers
over their vague role reflects a general uneasiness by the
Gabonese that a truly transparent and fair election may not
be in the works. END COMMENT.
REDDICK