Gabon Prime Minister Appoints New Cabinet, Retains Key Allies

(Bloomberg) -- Gabon’s Prime Minister Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet announced a new government days after the constitutional court forced the dissolution of the previous one, with the ruling party retaining control of key ministries.

Issoze-Ngondet, who was reappointed as prime minister on May 3 by President Ali Bongo, moved Régis Immongault Tatangani, the former economy minister, to foreign affairs. He is replaced by Jean Marie Ogandaga, the former minister of public affairs. Other former ministers retained their posts and two opposition party members also got cabinet positions for housing and for trade.

The government and the parliament were forced to dissolve by the country’s constitutional court because legislative elections weren’t held by April 30 as required by law. The oil-producing central African nation has been governed by Ali Bongo since succeeding his father in 2009.

To contact the reporters on this story: Eric Mbog Batassi in Johannesburg at embogbatassi@bloomberg.net, Katarina Hoije in Accra at khoije@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn2@bloomberg.net, Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net, Dulue Mbachu, Angela Cullen

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