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Latest update: 25/07/2009
- Gabon - Omar Bongo - presidential elections
Ali Ben Bongo denies he is heir apparent
Ali Ben Bongo is Gabon's defence minister, and a presidential candidate for the August 30 polls. He is also the son of late president Omar Bongo - meaning he has some heavy expectations to fulfill and severe critics to rebut.
Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba, son of deceased Gabonese president Omar Bongo Ondimba said, in an exclusive interview with RFI journalist Alain Foka for FRANCE 24 on July 23: “If the Gabonese place their trust in me and elect me to the head of state, I certainly won’t stay 40 years, rest assured.”
He is a candidate in the presidential election, which takes place on August 30. His father Omar was in power from 1967 until his death in June of this year.
Asked about introducing a term limit to the constitution, Ali Ben Bongo replied, “It’s a question we will look at, serenely and calmly.”
Bongo, who is currently the nation’s defence minister, is running as a member of the ruling PDG party (Gabonese Democratic Party). He rejects the idea that his candidacy is a type of monarchial succession.
“If that were the case,” he said, “do you think there would be ten candidates and that we would be following the procedure to the letter?”
“At the PDG, we are committed to a democratic selection process. And that is exactly what happened.”
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Comments (5)
Ali Ben Bongo
BBC the Gabonese people must have Ali Bongo as their next Leader because they would not suffer too muc hardship , because he is in possesion of all that money the father must have kept some where, I cannot attest to his integrity but am sure he will take minimal from the state's coffer rather than having any of those hungry wolves he's contending with and that the Gabonese people would not suffer I think it is hi time now the Gabonese people enjoy with their new leader
Ali bongo will never be president of Gabon
Listen, please french politic, france 24 stop this kind of commentary. Please we had enough of Bongo's. They are thruthless.... This year we are electing a new leader from gabon opposition. Don't you dare and understand that we are crying for our freedom.. just leave alone. ALI IS YOURS BUT GABON IS OURS. Your campain will never take place in Gabon. We will do everything to take back our country.... Be aware....
Thanks...
Ali bongo will never be president of Gabon
Listen, please french politic, france 24 stop this kind of commentary. Please we had enough of Bongo's. They are thruthless.... This year we are electing a new leader from gabon opposition. Don't you dare and understand that we are crying for our freedom.. just leave alone. ALI IS YOURS BUT GABON IS OURS. Your campain will never take place in Gabon. We will do everything to take back our country.... Be aware....
Thanks...
rubbish!
i have watched this interview and despite all he said i m not convinced. i've also read that he ( Ali Bongo) wants to put 45% of the budget for youth people and we all know that he can't make it happen, we all know that he made such a promise just for the sake of being elected. i'm a gabonese student in south Africa and i can tell you that he and his crew are trying to corrupt us in order to get our votes, how will he be allow to fight the corruption when himself is taking part in it? i'm writting for you young people, don't accept that money because if you do so that means you're not better than them what's more we would suffer about the consequences ( don't forget that people die everyday in hospital because of the lack of adequate treatment linked to corruption) DON'T SELL YOUR COUNTRY! . today we got the chance of making history so make the right choice.
What ever!
Look, we don't want Ali Bongo as our president. We have enough of Bongos. They have ruined our beloved country and sold it to France! We want our freedon. As citizens, we have the right to elect our leader freely and without external interfirence. We know that Bongos are spies and stooges set to work for France and only for France and french people. We don't want them to govern us anymore. Bongos and France have looted our beloved country for decades and our people continue to suffer.
Please just leave us alone and leave our country alone and GO AWAY.