Seven months after bringing the curtain down on the 55-year Bongo dynasty, Gabon’s transitional president launches a national dialogue Tuesday touted as paving the way for elections next year.According to a list published on Wednesday, 104 of the 580 participants are from the military.For the other dialogue participants, the 104 “legally recognised” parties — most of which support the general since the coup — put forward four people, one of whom was selected.
“It’s not respectful of the parties’ internal democracy,” Anges Kevin Nzigou of the Party for Change told AFP.
Civil society representatives, including from employers’ organisations, unions, youth and pensioner groups as well as NGOs will make up the rest.
The military regime “is demonstrating its desire to control the debate from start to finish”, Nzigou complained.
“Organising a dialogue and choosing who comes is a bit like having defined what will be said,” said Guy Pambo Mihindou, a Libreville University researcher in political science.
The opposition also complains about a lack of information on how the consultation will be handled.
“The organisation of the IND is being done in total opacity,” Joachim Mbatchi Pambou from the Forum for the Defence of the Republic said.
Under the transition timetable, the Gabonese people were invited to submit suggestions to be presented to the national dialogue.
Minister for the Reform of Insitutions Murielle Minkoue said that 38,000 complaints and proposals were received at offices or online.
Five days before the dialogue was due to begin however, no summary of those proposals had been made public.
Detractors say resolutions from the national dialogue will not be binding, including on the future constitution which authorities say will be put to a referendum.
The opposition also fears the conference will not question Oligui being allowed to run for the presidency in 2025.
Although a post-coup charter barred all leading figures in transitional bodies from the race, it made an exception for the general.
Source: