Gabon’s Ruling Party Wins Second Round of Parliamentary Vote

(Bloomberg) -- Gabon’s ruling party won the most seats in the second round of a legislative poll that was boycotted by the main opposition leader, further cementing President Ali Bongo’s grip on power.  

The Gabonese Democratic Party took a total of 98 out of 143 seats in the two rounds, the head of the Gabonese electoral commission, Moise Bibalou Koumba, said in a statement late Monday. Independent candidates and 12 other political parties took the remainder of the seats. Opposition leader Jean Ping, who narrowly lost to Bongo in the country’s closest-ever presidential election in 2016, boycotted the vote.

Bongo has been hospitalized since attending an economic summit in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, last week. A government spokesman said Monday he’s suffering severe fatigue caused by a hectic work schedule.

Bongo, 59, has ruled OPEC’s second-smallest oil producer since winning disputed elections in 2009 that were held months after his father, Omar Bongo, died in office. Omar Bongo was the world’s longest-serving president at the time of his death.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Mbog Batassi in Johannesburg at embogbatassi@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Pauline Bax

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