LIBREVILLE – Voters in Gabon turned out in large numbers yesterday to elect a successor to long-time leader Omar Bongo, with the late president’s son tipped to take over rule of the central African oil nation.
Ali Ben Bongo, defence minister in his father’s government, had looked to be cruising towards victory after a well-funded election campaign. But he faced a growing last-minute challenge after several candidates withdrew in favour of a leading rival. ‘There is a mounting groundswell of opposition against frontrunner Ali Ben, which he will have to contend with if he does eventually come to power,’ IHS Global Insight analyst Kissy Agyeman-Togobo said.There was no official turnout figure but witnesses said polling was brisker than at the last election in 2005, with some voters making their way to polling stations well before dawn – only to experience hours of delays before casting their vote.’We arrived here and the voting urns weren’t in place. We had to put together the polling booth ourselves,’ said Danniel Adamdi, a Libreville resident in his late 20s, at one of several polling stations where supplies of equipment were delayed.Investors are banking on a Ben Bongo win and play down the risk of unrest. But there have been widespread accusations among the candidates of rigging and some analysts fear tensions could spill over as results start coming in from Monday onwards.On Friday, five out of a field of 23 candidates withdrew to back Andre Mba Obame, a former interior minister and stalwart of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). – Nampa-Reuters
