Gabon

Defeated candidates want election annulled

Article published on the 2009-09-18 Latest update 2009-09-18 14:34 TU

Oppostion leaders march in Libreville in July.
(Photo: AFP)

Former Gabonese Interior Minister André Mba Obame, who came second to Ali Bongo in last month’s presidential elections, has asked the constitutional court to annul the election, marked, he claims, by “massive fraud.”

Obame says he already had doubts about its fairness the day after the 30 August election. He instructed his staff to investigate, and they confirmed his fears ten days later.

Obame’s team accuses Gabon’s electoral commission of orchestrating the fraud to guarantee Bongo’s election.

Three other candidates, including Pierre Mamboundou, who came third, announced Friday that they will also place formal complaints with the court.

From the time that the complaints are received, the Constitutional Court has one month to consider them.