The polls have opened in Gabon The polls have opened in the oil-rich country of Gabon in central Africa, with President Ali Bongo - who too...
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The polls have opened in Gabon
The polls have opened in the oil-rich country of Gabon in central Africa, with President Ali Bongo - who took over after the death of his father Omar Bango in 2009 - seeking a third term.
President Bango is competing with 13 people in an election that is expected to be hot.
The main candidate of the alliance of opposition parties, Albert Ondo Ossa, who is considered to be the leading challenger to Bango in the election, said "Gabon is not the property of the Bango family".
In the previous elections, there were complaints about the way the elections were conducted.
Opposition parties have alleged rigging in the previous elections.
This time, some changes were made in the voting documents that caused controversy weeks before the election.
For the first time, voters will use the same ballot for the election of the president and member of parliament.
Critics fear that this could be a threat to independent candidates, including Mr. Ondo Ossa, the main candidate of the opposition coalition, who himself has no party.