Richard Kwang Kometa
19 October 2009
The Republic Of Gabon is under the control of a new Head of State, Ali Bongo Ondimba, since last Friday October 16, 2009. The 50-year-old son of the former President of Gabon, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who died last June in Barcelona, Spain, is no novice to Gabonese political landscape. Yet he centred his political campaign on change, and it is now pressing on him to deliver on his electoral promises.
Sceptics have often argued that political campaign promises engage only those who believe in them and the adage has been applicable, more than elsewhere, in Africa. As years go by, political leaders come up, announcing to construct bridges where there are no rivers and they go away leaving the population desperate and disillusioned over broken promises. That fatalistic view notwithstanding, there is need for the continent to move forward as the political chessboard gets confronted with modern realities.
Gabon cannot be an exception. President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who took up function last week after a hotly disputed Presidential election in his country, stands to expect a benefit of doubt as he begins the new and challenging career of his life and a new era of leadership in Gabon. He won the election promising development, justice, education, healthcare and so on to the Gabonese people. He came up with the slogan "Ali'9", to mark the significance of nine in his life. He first joined the cabinet in 1989 as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1999 he became Minister of Defence and in 2009 he joined the race to be President of his country.
His intention could have been to mark a shift from his late father who ruled Gabon for over 40 years, a period that his opponents felt could militate against him on grounds that he was just his father's son and therefore incapable of presenting anything new.
After a recount of votes and deliberations at the Constitutional Court, Ali Bongo was finally sworn-in on October 16 as the 3rd President of the Republic of Gabon after Léon M'ba (1960-1967) and Omar Bongo Ondimba (1967-2009). He was declared winner with 41.79% of the votes cast in the election of August 30. His immediate rivals, Pierre Mamboundou and André Mba Obame respectively had 25.64 % and 25.33 %, according to the Constitutional Court of Gabon.
Many would say there was nothing new in the promises he made. But his ambition to make Gabon "an emerging economy" must be met for him to enter history books as a new hope for his people given that Gabon has the potentials to move beyond her present developmental level. Despite Gabon's oil wealth, the rich natural resources, 33% of the population still live in poverty, the school drop out rate due to inability to pursue education in Gabon was estimated at 38.91% in 1994/1995 while infant mortality rate, although witnessing a drop, was still consider by the United Nations Development Programme as high in recent years. The vaccination coverage of the country was estimated at a bare16.8% in 2000.
With a population of about 1.5 million inhabitants the new President has the challenge to work toward meeting the common aspirations of his people and demonstrate that he is not there only to apply what his father began. Gabonese will need to see a new wind of change blow across their country in order to accept that they are actually in a new Republic.
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Richard Just so you know, "Ali9" stands represents Gabon's 9 provinces, check it out on Ali's website: http://www.ali9.org/. Ali campaigned in all 9 provinces unlike the two leading opposition candidates which only campaigned in their respective ethnic base. Not the 9 lives which you suggested. Ali is quoted as saying, "I am my father's son but I am not my father", see Africa Confidential Vol 50, Number 18, front page, Blue Lines. I am confident Ali Bongo will help Gabon emerge to a new level and a new Republic. Cracking down on corruption already with the arrests of BEAC Chairman. More good things to follow such as only 29 Ministers as oppossed to the 50 as in the last government. Joe