Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Gabon court rejects opposition challenge to presidential poll result

Published 09/23/2016, 08:16 PM
Updated 09/23/2016, 08:16 PM
© Reuters. Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the media at Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya

© Reuters. Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the media at Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Gabon's Constitutional Court rejected on Friday an opposition challenge to the results of an Aug. 27 election won by incumbent President Ali Bongo, whose family has ruled the central African oil producer for nearly a half century.

The decision raises the prospect of a repeat of the violence that followed the announcement earlier this month of narrow victory for Bongo over opposition leader Jean Ping.

In his petition to the court, Ping, who has claimed he won the poll, alleged fraud in Haut-Ogooue province, where Bongo won 95 percent on a turnout of 99.9 percent. He had called for a recount of votes there.

The court refused to accept copies of vote tally sheets provided as evidence by Ping, many of which it said were illegible.

Bongo's allies submitted evidence to the court rejecting Ping's allegations and countering that the opposition leader had himself orchestrated vote fraud.

© Reuters. Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the media at Nairobi National Park near Nairobi, Kenya

The court canceled votes in 21 constituencies in the capital Libreville, but Bongo still won the vote with 50.66 percent of ballots cast.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.