Gabon citizens vote on Saturday for their next president, with military leader Brice Oligui Nguema expected to win big against seven opponents. The voting starts early morning after Oligui ended fifty years of corrupt Bongo family rule last August through a military takeover. The interior ministry promises results within three days after polls close. Voters seem excited about Oligui despite critics saying he served the Bongo regime for many years himself.
Oligui temporarily removed his general uniform to comply with election rules for his seven-year term campaign. His face appears everywhere across the capital city with his catchy slogan, "C'BON," which means "It's good" in French. His main challenger remains former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, who campaigns in poor neighborhoods and warns about dictatorship. The other candidates include a tax inspector, a doctor, a civil servant, three business owners, and one woman running for office.
The next president must fix serious problems like bad roads, unreliable electricity, unemployment, and a massive national debt approaching 80 percent of the GDP. Most citizens live below the poverty line despite the country's valuable oil resources. People want transparent elections after previous voting problems caused violence throughout the country. Nobody can predict exactly how Gabonese will vote after experiencing both bloody protests and military coups in recent years.
Oligui temporarily removed his general uniform to comply with election rules for his seven-year term campaign. His face appears everywhere across the capital city with his catchy slogan, "C'BON," which means "It's good" in French. His main challenger remains former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, who campaigns in poor neighborhoods and warns about dictatorship. The other candidates include a tax inspector, a doctor, a civil servant, three business owners, and one woman running for office.
The next president must fix serious problems like bad roads, unreliable electricity, unemployment, and a massive national debt approaching 80 percent of the GDP. Most citizens live below the poverty line despite the country's valuable oil resources. People want transparent elections after previous voting problems caused violence throughout the country. Nobody can predict exactly how Gabonese will vote after experiencing both bloody protests and military coups in recent years.
