A Woman at the Helm in Gabon - For Now

The last time Gabon had to manage a political transition after the death of a president was in 1967 when then president and father of the country’s independence Leon Mba succumbed to a long illness.

Nadia Ahmadou, Junior Researcher – African Security Analysis Programme, ISS Pretoria

 

The last time Gabon had to manage a political transition after the death of a president was in 1967 when then president and father of the country’s independence Leon Mba succumbed to a long illness. Superbly orchestrated by the Elysee Palace in Paris and executed by the very influential and legendary presidential adviser Jacques Foccart, the succession of Leon Mba was offered to a young and promising politician whose most important quality at the time was his loyalty to France. Promising prospects of oil exploitation led Paris to a tight control of the “democratic stability” of the country in the Gulf of Guinea. It wasn’t unusual at that time that France uses its leverage to control the appointment of ministers and the “election” of presidents. Today, 42 years down the line, supporters of Bongo praise the political stability and the economic prosperity of Gabon, whereas his opponents point at the appalling discrepancies between rich and poor in a country of just over 1,5 million inhabitants and with an impressive oil wealth.

Times have changed since then. The dominant figure of Bongo is no more and his succession is not the outcome of an arrangement between French and African old men’s networks. Instead, the transition is managed by a woman who, in deep contrast with the imperial style of her predecessor, has managed to create an unexpected consensus around the rules of the game for the presidential election due on Sunday, 30 August 2009. Unknown by the majority of her compatriots only 6 months ago, interim President Mme. Rose Francine Rogombé has so far impressed even the hardest opponents of Bongo who all agree on the fact that she is an integrative figure and has the necessary authority to lead the country at this very special juncture of its young history.

 

Nothing had predisposed Mme. Rogombé to serve at the highest state level. With a background in law and theology, she appeared destined for a career in the judicial sphere, with numerous positions as state prosecutor, senator and state secretary for the promotion of women’s and human rights over the years. Her ascension to the presidency of the senate occurred in early 2009 and came as surprise to the political elite of Gabon as she had no stakes and played no significant role in the country’s political spheres. The significance of her ascension appeared to be relegated solely to her success as the first woman in Gabon to hold such prestigious positions.

 

The shock wave that hit the entire political class when President Bongo died in a private hospital in Barcelona last June led many commentators to speculations about a remake of the Togolese scenario, where former president Gnassingbe Eyadema was succeeded by his sun Faure Gnassingbe. In fact, allusions were made about a military backed dynastic succession or a coup d’état to ensure the continuity of the regime. According to the Gabonese constitution, the transition would fall in the hands of the President of the Senate who would be responsible for the organisation of elections that would determine presidential succession. Preliminary analysis suggested that the transition would operate in favour of the Bongo clan, as Mme. Rogombé is a member of the ruling party, the PDG.

 

Looking at her role as transitional president, this analysis appears to have been erroneous. Her achievements as a neutral, impartial and just president adequately reflect the promises made in her investiture speech, that of representing and reflecting the will of the Gabonese people throughout her transition. A most compelling illustration of this would be the decision to temporarily ‘retire’ Ali Ben Bongo, son of the late president, from his ministerial portfolio in the wake of upcoming presidential campaigning. Complaints had emerged regarding the unfair access he had to information that would privilege his campaign, to the detriment of the opposition. Being the chosen presidential candidate for the party in power, in a country that has more often than not favoured political actors from within government ranks, expectations were that similar trends would continue, in total contradiction to the required transparency of democratic processes. Mme. Rogombé effectively attended to these concerns in a consensual manner that appealed to all and is in favour of the desired transparency required for free and fair elections. As she made clear in her official statement in this regard, there is a need for all presidential candidates to campaign on equal footing. For the first time in the history of Gabon, the people have a chance to validate the concept of democracy being ‘for the people, by the people’.

 

As we celebrate the women of Africa, we must recognise the important roles female leadership play as exemplary figures in the politics of the continent. This allows Africa to project itself towards a new generation of leadership that is pioneering and innovative. A new trend of democratisation can emerge in her wake, a trend that recognises the importance of the quality of leadership as a key factor in the consolidation of democracy on the continent. One only hopes that this window of opportunity for positive change does not go adrift, but rather contributes to opening up the space for more women to actively participate in the development of enhanced futures for all.

 

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