Yesterday, on 17 December, the elections were for the National Assembly (lower house) instead. About 800 people ran for the 120 seats - actually for 111 seats. The Member for the remaining 9 seats are obviously of Mr. Omar Bongo Ondimba determined person. Last year, Bongo, who is in office since 1967, elected for a further 7-year reign and is the longest reigning president in Africa. In addition there are bongos PDG around 50 opposition parties, usually financially weak and with an ideology that is not fundamentally different from that of the PDG. Many Gabonese boy or go basically did not choose first. Transparency missing, they do not trust the electoral process. As Guillaume, a 20 year old said, it will change anything anyway. The ballot papers? Thrown into the Ogou. And if Bongo dies, it is his son, who will continue to govern.
is not quite so bad to be. Compared to neighboring countries, Gabon is a very politically stable country. In my mind, lies not least in the oil and the wood. The oil reserves are running low, but .... .
However, Bongo himself is not content with messes. To drive a side wall of his residence need at least a two-minute train ride photograph, of course, forbidden. His seat of government is a gigantic, with x offices, the devil knows what he needs them all. During our Libreville-trip last weekend and we have been with us the whole rest of the traffic stopped twice by the military. Once on the highway, pass to Mr. Bongo on the bridge about it could, the second time on a main road of the coast. In each case, police in front of and behind the limousine, the ambulance was also the same in her entourage. You never know ... . Because the elections were on Sunday, already closed Saturday evening all the bars, shops and shopping centers. We had missed when planning our Libreville weekend anyway. And shopping centers may have been used a bit high. In fact, there is one thing: Mbolo. Since there are (almost) everything, sometimes at exorbitant Prices. This gonna be the most expensive Weihnachtsguetsli my life.
And à propos ambulance: during the campaign paid Bongo himself from Lambarene a visit, of course, only at the airport, but still. Because of him on that day, all the ambulances were blocked (even though he just always carries its own also) and we could not move our patient as provided to Libreville. He then appeared to spread more money, which of course led to controversy - but it is possible to vote. That is
campaign, we realized later than the beginning of December, the official campaign's start. Since they met every few meters namely Bongo on the belly of a RAO-shirt-wearer. What are called does not want the support RAO sympathizer - but a free shirt here nobody says no. Also, baseball caps and other gadgets - from last year's elections, I have seen others also packs a good quality. But in any case seems to have enough money. Proportional to the financial strength of other parties and candidates gabs also a few institutions of other T-shirts. Well, then - along with T-shirts they met on the Kandiaten plakatbeklebten cars, shops, bars, worldwide. Even on the lottrigsten huts with corrugated iron roof on the road Lambarene - Libreville: Bongo missing anywhere.
beginning of December we were at a RAO-election campaign. Hundreds of people in the white bongo-Shirts, loud music, singers, dancers. Even if the content does not agree, the type of campaign events, one could in any case for the trending Switzerland.
I've heard today nothing definite from the results, I have just looked on the web. Except for Al Jazeera and some other observers page I have found, however, not smarter. Even Al Jazeera could report little more than that in many places, the polling station staff are not published, and people went to vote until very late because they went first into the church in the morning ... Probably the most seats made before RAO. And on the subject of church and faith above all perhaps another time ... .
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