Gabon court upholds president’s poll victory

ALI Bongo Ondimba, whose re-election victory was upheld by Gabon’s constitutional court yesterday, has long sought to emerge from the shadow of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years until his death in 2009.

In his first comments after the ruling, Bongo, a stocky 57-year-old, appealed for “political dialogue” with the opposition to steer the West African country out of the crisis triggered by the announcement of his victory.

The court rejected an appeal by rival Jean Ping, who had called for a recount over widespread allegations of fraud.

While partially changing the results of the close August 27 vote, the court said Bongo maintained a lead over his ally-turned-opponent with 50.66% of the vote against 47.24% for Ping.

The announcement of Bongo’s victory after the bitterly fought election had sparked days of deadly violence.

“I call all political leaders, including the defeated candidates in the August 27 election, for a political dialogue,” Bongo said in a televised speech.

Bongo is variously known by his initials ABO, Ali B and the less flattering “Monsieur Fils” — “Mr Son”.

The last nickname has always irked him the most: Bongo has long insisted he owes his position to his own merits rather than to nepotism.

Gabon is sitting on oil, minerals and tropical timber, and its per capita national income is four times greater than that of most sub-Saharan nations.

But a third of the population of 1.8 million live below the poverty line — fuelling resentment towards a regime notorious for corruption.

Mindful of that mood, Bongo campaigned on the slogan “Let’s change together”. He managed to shed his reputation as a dry, reticent man, coming to life on the campaign trail by ‘MR SON’: Ali Bongo Ondimba casts his vote in the presidential election in August

He managed to shed his reputation as a dry, reticent man

cracking jokes and going head-to-head on stage with hired rap groups.

He was born Alain Bernard Bongo on February 9 1959, in the Congolese city of Brazzaville, which at the time was still part of a French colony.

Bongo has strenuously denied his detractors’ allegations that he was actually an adopted son born in Nigeria, and therefore ineligible to run for president in Gabon.

His father, who came to power in 1967 upon the death of Gabon’s first postindependence leader, was serving in the French armed forces at the time of Ali’s birth.

The young Bongo attended Brazzaville’s top schools and studied law in France. But his prestigious education did not extend to learning any of his country’s local languages, a lapse that many have held against him.

From a young age, Bongo worked as a close aide to his father, travelling the world and building up contacts in the US and in the Arab world. Like his father, he converted to Islam and took an Arabic first name in the ’70s. — AFP