Global Courant
President Bongo faces a third term in office after ruling for nearly 14 years in a country with no presidential term limit.
Gabon has validated the candidacies of 19 people, including President Ali Bongo and several former ministers, for a presidential election next month, the election commission says.
Bongo’s candidacy was approved despite opposition claims that he is unfit to run for president. He suffered a stroke in October 2018 and was flown to Morocco for medical treatment.
Gabonese Electoral Center president Michel Stephane Bonda said on Sunday that 27 applications had been received before the deadline for submitting nomination papers and 19 had been approved.
Bongo came to power in a controversial 2009 election following the death of his father, Omar Bongo – who had been in power for 42 years – and won re-election in 2016. Both election victories were contested by the opposition, who said he won fraudulently.
He is running for a third term in a country that has no constitutional term limits.
Former Mining Minister Alexandre Barro Chambrier is seen as Bongo’s main challenger. The Paris-born economist is taking part in the presidential election for the first time.
Other candidates include Pierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou, founder and chairman of the Social Democratic Party, and Raymond Ndong Sima, former prime minister.
The presidential election campaign begins on August 11 and the vote will take place on August 26.
