GABON: RULING PARTY LOSING GROUND IN OPPOSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000538 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR A/C FOR LISA KORTE INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL GB SUBJECT: GABON: RULING PARTY LOSING GROUND IN OPPOSITION STRONGHOLD Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Gabon's ruling Democratic Party is on the verge of losing its only toehold in Port Gentil, the country's second largest commercial center and opposition stronghold. Port Gentil's current mayor, Andre Jules Ndjambe, is likely to be ousted in the next week after losing the confidence of his own party. By all accounts, Ndjame's failure to demonstrate leadership during the anti-government rioting following the announcement of the presidential election results and mismanagement of local issues made his continued tenure as mayor untenable. Also, following the death of Omar Bongo who struck a deal with the opposition that gave Ndjambe the mayor's seat, Port Gentil's opposition was ready to flex its muscles and call off the deal. Unfortunately for the ruling party, Ndjambe's successor will most likely be opposition party leader Maitre Seraphin Ndaot, who was popular during his previous tenure as mayor. -------------- The Odd Man Out -------------- ¶2. (C) Port Gentil's current mayor, Andre Jules Ndjambe, is likely to be removed from his position in the next week, leaving the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) without a flagbearer in the opposition stronghold and key commercial center. Ndjambe was never popular due to his PDG links, questionable tactics that led to his installation, and poor performance. Moreover, the ruling party gradually withdrew its support for Ndjambe after he failed to deal effectively with the deterioration of the security situation during the post-election violence that occurred in September. Ndjambe reportedly fled the city during the violence. Embassy contacts tell us that the PDG is working behind the scenes to find a way for it to keep some influence in the city despite the probable loss of the mayor's seat. Opposition members of the city council have publically announced they will not support Ndjambe's budget proposals and are unwilling to work with the mayor on other projects. ¶3. (C) Ndjambe's potential removal is popular with the people of Port Gentil where he is widely viewed as incompetent and corrupt. Under Ndjambe, little has been done to improve the infrastructure of the city, and social services such as trash collection have become inconsistent. Ndjambe is also under investigation for receiving multiple salaries as Mayor. Ndjambe's improbable rise as a PDG mayor in a town known for its anti-PDG sentiments is cause for a number of persistent rumors, particularly that a deal was struck by late President Omar Bongo with the opposition that gave Ndjambe the mayor's office. Specifics include that the PDG negotiated and bribed a number of leading politicians to support Ndjambe's rise and the ouster of the more popular, then-serving mayor, Maitre Seraphin Ndaot. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (C) The opposition will undoubtedly savor Ndjambe's removal, and Ndaot's return could create a popular and charismatic opposition leader at a time when the opposition is rudderless. For President Bongo and the PDG, the loss of Ndjambe's position means that their influence in Port Gentil and its important economic centers will drastically decrease and any government initiative in Port Gentil with Ndaot in power will become significantly more difficult. In effect, Port Gentil could become an autonomous city, operating in spite of leadership and funding from Libreville rather than because of it. President Ali Bongo has not, as far as we can discern, entered the fray and asserted the kind of deal-making initiative wielded by his father. END COMMENT. REDDICK