Democracy News
Presidential Party Experiences Landslide Win in Gabon’s Parliamentary Election
December 22, 2011
By: Randi Zung | Printer Friendly
During Gabon’s December 17 parliamentary election, President Ali Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) claimed an overwhelming majority in a poll that was boycotted by many opposition groups and voters. According to AFP, the poll was boycotted by the opposition on the basis that it lacked transparency. Opposition groups called for the poll organizers to implement biometric security measures, such as fingerprinting, which would ensure lower chances of electoral misconduct. This is Gabon’s first parliamentary election since Bongo assumed the presidency following his father’s death in 2009. Reuters reported that 475 candidates competed for the available 120 parliamentary seats.
On December 22, BBC News reported that official election results stated that Bongo's ruling coalition won 114 of 120 parliamentary seats. However, the landslide victory only had a voter turnout of 34.8 percent. Commenting on the results of the poll, opposition leader Jean Eyeghe Ndong cautioned that the country was “sliding into a dictatorship.” In the previous parliament, Bongo’s PDG party held 98 seats. Opposition candidates won the remaining 6 seats.
For previous news on Gabon, please see:
Fraud Allegations Mar Presidential Election in Gabon
Sources:
BBC News – Gabon’s coalition wins landslide victory
AFP - Bongo party claims absolute majority in Gabon election
|
