1998 Gabonese presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Gabon on 6 December 1998. Incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967, sought a seven-year term against five other candidates. It was Gabon's second multi-party presidential election and, despite low turnout and polling problems, Bongo won the election with 66.88% of the vote.[1][2]

Campaign

In late July 1998, the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) called for Bongo to run for re-election, praising him as a "trump card for the third millennium". Also in July, the opposition National Woodcutters' Rally (RNB) split into two factions, one headed by Paul M'ba Abessole and one headed by Pierre-Andre Kombila, after Kombila was expelled from the party.[3]

Pierre Mamboundou of the Union of the Gabonese People (UPG) ran as the candidate of the High Council of the Resistance, a coalition of opposition parties that included the UPG, the African Forum for Reconstruction, the Mebiame Group, MORENA–Original and the Socialist Emancipation Movement of the People.[4][5] The Gabonese Progress Party (PGP) of Pierre-Louis Agondjo Okawé supported Mamboundou.[6]

Opinion polls

The publication of opinion polls was prohibited by the National Communication Council during the week immediately preceding the election.[7]

Results

According to final results from the Constitutional Court, Bongo won the election with 66.88% of the vote. Mamboundou officially placed second with 16.54% of the vote.[8][9] Mamboundou denounced the official results as an "electoral coup d'etat" and called on the people to begin a "graduated response" by engaging in a stay at home ("ghost city") protest.[9] Following the election, he alleged that commandos sent by the government tried to kill him on 12 December 1998.[10] While Mamboundou's call for people to stay at home was mostly ignored in Libreville, Port-Gentil was reportedly "paralysed".[11]

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Omar Bongo Ondimba	Gabonese Democratic Party	211,955	66.9
Pierre Mamboundou	Union of the Gabonese People	52,278	16.5
Paul M’ba-Abessole	National Woodcutters' Rally	47,701	13.2
Pierre André Kombila	National Woodcutters' Rally – Democratic	4,847	1.5
Pierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou	Social Democratic Party	3,152	1.0
Martin Edzodzomo-Ela	Independent	1,548	0.5
Alain Engouang Nze	National Confederation of Woodcutters Associations	892	0.3
Joseph Adrien Mabicka Maguena	Independent	527	0.2
Total		316,900	100
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane was Bongo's campaign manager during the election, and he was subsequently appointed as Prime Minister in January 1999.[12]

References

1. Gabon presidential election
2. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p404 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
3. "GABON: Ruling party seeks Bongo re-election", IRIN-WA Update 259 of Events in West Africa, 25–27 July 1998.
4. "Gabon: Two presidential candidates declared", Africa No 1 radio (nl.newsbank.com), 6 June 1998.
5. Elections in Gabon African Elections Database
6. "Gabon: Opposition leader says President Bongo prisoner of his own men", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), 24 August 1999.
7. "GABON: Presidential candidate accused of gun running", IRIN-West Africa update 349, 30 November 1998.
8. "Gabon: Opposition leader protests at results, alleges assassination attempt", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), 13 December 1998.
9. "GABON: Opposition calls for strike action to protest election results" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, IRIN-West Africa Update 359, 14 December 1998.
10. "U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2000 - Gabon", UNHCR.org, 26 February 2001.
11. "Gabon: Port Gentil "paralysed" by opposition strike", Africa No 1 radio (nl.newsbank.com), 15 December 1998.
12. "New prime minister for Gabon", BBC News, 23 January 1999.