While the electoral body has not yet published the results of last weekends legislative and local elections, trends from polling stations indicate a high absentee rate. A situation that plays in favour of the ruling party and might see an end to the career of some political heavy weights who did not make it past the first round.

This is the case for opposition politicians like Jean de Dieu Moukagni Iwangou, Guy Nzouba Ndama, Chantal Myboto, Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, René Ndémézo, Annie Léa Meyé,  Michel Menga, Alexandre Barro Chambrier, Léon Paul Ngoulakia.

Many radical opposition candidates had thought the elections was an opportunity to take over the National Assembly and, subsequently, the government but this is proving unlikely judging by polling station results.

The spokesperson for the Presidency has pointed to the fact that the opposition has been weakened by division. Supporters of former presidential candidate Jean Ping had called for a boycott. The results suggest that only supporters of Ali Bongo Ondimba's camp went to the polls.

Translated from Gabonews by Allafrica's Michael Tantoh