Ali Bongo Proposes Dialogue

The proposal comes as all attention is focused on the Constitutional Court that will on September 23, 2016 rule on petitions regarding the presidential election.

In order to attenuate the rising tension in Gabon ahead of the ruling of the Constitutional Court on presidential election results petitions, incumbent President Ali Bongo and declared winner has started to propose dialogue with the opposition.

Government’s spokesperson, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze over national television on Tuesday said, Ali Bongo considered that the country has reached a degree of violence in the course of the recent events that nobody would want to relive it, RFI cited him as saying. He said Ali Bongo was proposing to open dialogue with the main opposition candidate, Jean Ping as what is important is to attenuate the tensions. He said should the opposition accept, the framework of the dialogue would be defined.

Back to the election results, following Gabon’s electoral code, the Constitutional Court has to rule on the petitions latest Friday, September 23, 2016. The ruling will either confirm the victory of Ali Bongo or order for the recounting of votes in Haut-Ogooué Province as requested by the main opposition candidate, Jean Ping.  

As the D-Day approaches both the opposition and ruling party officials have varied reactions. The l...