A two-year period before the promised free elections in Gabon, following the military coup that ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, is a “reasonable goal,” according to Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima in a statement to AFP on September 10th, 2023.
In Gabon, the new Prime Minister, now heading the transitional government, announced for the first time on September 10, 2023, a transition period following the coup on August 30, 2023, which ousted Ali Bongo. It could be 24 months, according to a statement by Raymond Ndong Sima to the Agence France Presse (AFP).
Two years of transition is indeed a “reasonable goal,” as Raymond Ndong Sima shared, adding that this period could be “slightly longer or shorter.”
The primary goal for the transitional Prime Minister is “to see the process lead to elections.” However, he won’t be able to participate in these elections. The transition charter prohibits members of the provisional government from running in the upcoming electoral events.