JOINT AFRICAN UNION AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN THE REPUBLIC OF GABON – 27 AUGUST 2016 PRELIMINARY STATEMENT I. INTRODUCTION 1- Following the decision of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), HE Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini ZUMA and HE Mr. Ahmad ALLAM-MI, Secretary General of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), a joint AU-ECCAS mission was deployed for the presidential election held on August 27, 2016 in the Republic of Gabon. 2- The Joint Mission is led by the Excellencies Mr. Cassam UTEEM, former President of the Republic of Mauritius and Mr. Abou MOUSSA, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Africa. It is composed of ambassadors accredited to the African Union in Addis Ababa, members of the Pan African Parliament, heads of electoral commissions, electoral experts and members of African civil society organisations. 3- The joint mission includes seventy-five (75) observers including twelve (12) long-term observers deployed since 7 August 2016. The observers come from thirty-two (32) African countries.1 4- The evaluation of the election was based on the relevant provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2012) the Declaration of the OAU / AU Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002), the 2002 AU's Guidelines for 1 Angola, Algéria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Cape Verde, Congo, Comores Islands, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Libéria, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Saharawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Sao Tomé and Principe, Rwanda, Sénégal, Seychelles, Chad, Togo et Tunisia. 1 election observation and monitoring mission, the African Peer Review Mechanism, the Brazzaville Declaration of June 7, 2005 which extends the mandate of the General Secretariat of ECCAS on electoral issues as well as the existing legal framework for the organization of elections in the Republic of Gabon. 5- This statement presents the preliminary findings of the joint mission at the conclusion of the observation of the voting process and the counting of votes. The joint mission will continue to monitor the electoral process and a final report will be produced at the end of it. II. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY OF THE MISSION 6- Pursuant to the mandate given to it by the AU instruments Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, the Joint Mission made an independent, professional and impartial observation of the election held on 27 August 2016 in the Gabonese Republic. To this end, it combined the long-term and short term observation. 7- In this context, the Joint Mission held meetings with key stakeholders in the electoral process, namely, government authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic), the Autonomous and Permanent National Electoral Commission (CENAP), some candidates running for president and the opposition coalition, the United Nations Regional Office in Central Africa (UNOCA), the diplomatic corps and the Delegation of the European Union. The mission also met with other international electoral observation missions present in Gabon (OIF, EU, NDI). 8- The Joint Mission plans to meet other stakeholders until its departure from the country. 9- Prior to the deployment, the Joint Mission organized an orientation session to familiarise its observers on the historical, political and legal framework for elections in the Gabonese Republic. On that occasion, observers discussed with representatives of civil society, the presidential majority and the opposition. 10- The Joint AU-ECCAS Mission deployed 26 teams in the 9 provinces of the Republic of Gabon. On election day, its teams visited 321 out of the 2,580 polling stations created for this election to accommodate the 628,124 voters. 11- Moreover, on 25 August 2016, the African Union submitted a pre-election statement that reports its observations and recommendations on the pre-electoral context in the Gabonese Republic. 12- The findings and preliminary observations of the Joint Mission are based on the findings and reports of observers deployed in the provinces on election day to observe the opening, conduct and the counting of votes. 2 III. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS A. Political context of the presidential election on August 27, 2016 13- With an area of 267,667 Km2 and a population estimated in 2013 at 1.811 079 inhabitants,2 the Gabonese Republic is a former French colony that gained independence on 17 August 1960, with Leon Mba as president.. 14- In 1967, President Leon Mba died. He was replaced by Albert Bernard Bongo who later became Omar Bongo Ondimba. Since then, the country's political history is marked by the Bongo family. Upon his arrival in power, Bongo removed multiparty politics to establish a one-party state which was the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). Under the banner of the party-state, President Bongo presented a single candidate for 1973, 1979, 1986 elections which he won. 15- In 1990, under pressure from social demands and policies caused by the economic crisis and a conducive international political environment particularly following the La Baule speech, the Bongo regime agreed to hold a national conference in March-April. This lead, among others, to the restoration of multiparty politics. Presidential elections were thus held in 1993, 1998, 2005, all won by the candidate Bongo amid systematic challenges by the opposition. 16- On 08 June 2009, President Omar BONGO ONDIMBA died after forty-two (42) years in power. According to the current Constitution, the power vacuum was opened and guaranteed by the President of the Senate, Mrs. Rose Francine Rogombe. 17- After a period of vicissitudes, the first post Bongo presidential election was held on 30 August 2009 in which eighteen (18) candidates introduced themselves including Ali Bongo Ondimba, the son of the late President and defense minister who emerged as the winner with 41.79% of votes. 18- Once again, the opposition contested the results, denouncing widespread irregularities. These challenges lead to questioning of the opposition relating to the nationality of Ali Bongo Ondimba emerging from suspicion about his parentage. 19- The political debate on the nationality and eligibility of the incumbent was rekindled at the approach of the presidential election of 27 August 2016. Contesting the birth certificate, the opposition, led mainly by defectors from the PDG, applied to the Constitutional court for the invalidation of his candidacy. Without evidence, the Court declared the appeal inadmissible. 20- Following the decision of the Constitutional Court to validate the candidacy of Ali Bongo Ondimba, part of the opposition united around the candidate Jean Ping. Many candidates withdrew and to his benefit, among which were Casimir Oye Mba, Guy Nzouba Ndama, Roland Desire Aba'a Minko and Leon Paul Ngoulakia. 2 2013 general census in Gabon 3 21- It is in this political context particularly marked by the challenge of the legitimacy of the candidacy of the incumbent president that the presidential elections were held on 27 August 2016. In light of speeches made by all, including the opposition, the Mission believes that without the political actors being in control, the post-election period could be troublesome. There are fears of risks of violence. B. Legal framework for the 2016 elections 22- The Constitution of the Republic of Gabon which was adopted on 26 March 1991 constitutes the basic legal text in electoral matters. Alongside this fundamental law which stipulates the great principles of political and electoral law in the Gabonese Republic, the election of the President of the Republic is based primarily on the following: Ø Act No. 07/96 of 12 March 1996 laying down common provisions for all political elections. This has seen to date, fourteen (14) changes and the last dating 22 July 2013; Ø Act No. 10/96 of 15 April 1996 on the eligibility requirements of the President of the Republic (No. 16/98 amended by Ordinance of August 14, 1998); Ø Act No. 16/96 of 15 April 1996 on special provisions for the election of the President of the Republic (No. 18/98 amended by Ordinance of 14 August 1998 and the Act No 13/2003 of 19 August 2003 and No 011/2004 of 6 January 2005); Ø Act No. 16/2011 of 14 February 2012 amending Law No. 24/96 of 6 June 1996 on political parties. 23- In terms of the regulations, various decrees and orders also cover the general aspects in all political elections. Other regulatory texts specifically apply to the election of the President of the Republic. 24- In view of their content, human rights and political freedoms are enshrined in these instruments. If the Constitution lays down the principle of freedom in the creation and exercise of political parties or groups, it also guarantees the freedom of the press and the right of every person to freely disseminate their opinions3. 25- In terms of the organization of the electoral framework, the Constitution establishes the universal, secret and equal suffrage. It recognizes in its Article 4 the right to vote of all Gabonese of both sexes aged eighteen (18) years of age and above and enjoying their civil and political rights. For its part, the law applicable to all political elections in Gabon incorporates the principles of universality, equality, freedom and secrecy of the vote. It recognises the conditions of preparation, conduct of various elections and the skills of each stakeholder. 26- The Law on Political Parties also provides for public funding of political parties' activities. These include state subsidies, under Article 52, the annual operating grants and those of election campaign. 3 Articles 1, 2 and 13 4 27- The Joint Mission believes that the point of view of the formal consecration of Rights and Freedoms, the constitutional and legal framework of the Gabonese Republic meets the principles promoted in the relevant instruments on human rights and democratic governance.