The Gabonese Electoral Center (CGE) has unveiled the list of candidates selected for the presidential election scheduled for August 26th in Gabon. Among the 19 candidates chosen out of the 27 applications submitted, opposition figures are preparing to challenge the incumbent government, marking a crucial step for the country’s future.
Gabon is gearing up for a highly anticipated presidential election, set to take place on August 26th. The Gabonese Electoral Center (CGE) has revealed the final list of candidates, announcing the participation of 19 personalities out of the 27 applications submitted. This announcement has drawn special attention, as it marks a crucial milestone for the African nation, following the controversial 2016 election that plunged the country into a serious post-electoral crisis.
Among the selected candidates are heavyweight figures from the opposition who are gearing up to challenge the ruling regime. One of the leading figures of this opposition is Hugues Alexandre Barro Chambrier, a former member of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), who has previously held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Hydrocarbons under Ali Bongo Ondimba. He is now running on behalf of the Rally for Homeland and Modernity.
Alongside Chambrier, other well-known personalities in Gabon will be competing, including Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou, former Vice President of the country and member of the Social Democratic Party, as well as Raymond Ndong Sima, former Prime Minister, who is running as an independent candidate. Additionally, Victoire Lasseni Duboze, former President of the women’s branch of the PDG, is now endorsed by the Union of Alliances for a New Africa (Uana), and Paulette Missambo, former Minister of State and Member of Parliament representing the National Union, will be among the contenders for the highest office in the country.
The 2023 presidential election is of critical importance for Gabon, as it comes after the contested 2016 election, which led to the reelection of Ali Bongo Ondimba and was followed by a serious post-electoral crisis marked by violence. Despite significant constitutional reforms adopted during the 2017 national dialogue, political tension persists.
The recent amendment of the electoral law, which provides for the presence of representatives from the ruling party, opposition, and independents in polling stations, has raised concerns among the opposition and civil society. They are worried about the fairness of the electoral process and the impartiality of the election.
