Two-Day Workshop in Libreville Begins to Bridge Deep Political Divide as NDI Releases Pre-Election Report on Gabon
LIBREVILLE – The National Democratic Institute (NDI) released today its Report on the Pre-Election Mission to Gabon. From May 29 to June 3, NDI deployed an international delegation to Gabon in order to assess preparations for the 2016 presidential poll and to support Gabonese efforts at ensuring a peaceful, transparent and credible election.
NDI’s two-day workshop in Libreville included a panel on the roles and responsibilities of political parties in the electoral process. Panelists from ruling and opposition parties -- from left to right: Pr. Albert Ondo Ossa, Union Sacrée pour la Patrie (USP); Alexandre Barro Chambrier, Rassemblement Héritage et Modernité (RHM); Issaga Kampo, Vice-president of the election commission of Mali; NDI’s Chris Fomunyoh; Carlos Okinda, Parti Gabonais du Centre Indépendant (PGCI); Fidèle Angoue Mba, Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG).
At the invitation of the Gabonese government and welcomed by all Gabonese political parties – from the majority and opposition – the delegation included political and civic leaders, and election and regional experts from North America, Europe and Africa. It was composed of the Right Honorable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada; Ambassador Maria Leissner, Secretary-General of the Community of Democracies; Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa at NDI; and Dr. Sophia Moestrup, Deputy Director for Central and West Africa at NDI.
The delegation released its preliminary findings and recommendations on June 3, and several members returned to Gabon this week to share the final report, available here, with the Gabonese.
NDI also held a two-day conference in Libreville entitled “Competitive Elections in Democratic Societies: The Roles and Responsibilities of Different Actors” where a broad cross-section of election stakeholders met to share perspectives on the electoral process. Gabon has historically been one of the more stable countries in the Central Africa subregion; however, in the lead-up to the election the political debate became heated and deeply polarized. Convening representatives from across the political spectrum is an important step toward fostering dialogue and opportunities for consensus building around election related matters.
"We are hopeful that these opportunities for multi-party discussions will contribute to peaceful and meaningful polls," said Fomunyoh. "We encourage Gabonese to continue to take actions that would enhance citizen confidence and participation in the election."
NDI’s work in Gabon is supported by a grant from the United States Department of State under the Fundamental Freedoms Fund.
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