1993 Gabonese presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Gabon on 5 December 1993, the first time more than one candidate had contested a presidential election in the country. Incumbent President Omar Bongo, in power since 1967, sought a five-year term against twelve other candidates. According to official results Bongo won in the first round with 51.2% of the vote. However, the main opposition leader, Paul Mba Abessole, alleged fraud, claimed victory, and threatened to form a rival government. Riots in 1994 practically brought the country to a standstill until Bongo agreed to attend a peace conference with opposition groups in September 1994, in which a coalition government was formed until the 1996 parliamentary election, which Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party won by a landslide.[1]

1993 Gabonese presidential election

← 1986 5 December 1993 1998 →
Turnout88.08%
 
Candidate Omar Bongo Paul Mba Abessole
Party PDG RNB
Popular vote 213,793 110,747
Percentage 51.18% 26.51%

President before election

Omar Bongo
PDG

Elected President

Omar Bongo
PDG

Campaign

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Bongo was supported by the "New Alliance", a coalition that included the Association for Socialism in Gabon, the Circle of Liberal Reformers, the Gabonese Socialist Union and the People's Unity Party.[2]

Results

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Based on exit polling at the time of the election, the news organization Reuters placed Bongo's share of the vote at about 37%.[3] Voter turnout was 88.1%.[4]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Omar BongoGabonese Democratic Party213,79351.18
Paul Mba AbessoleNational Woodcutters Rally110,74726.51
Pierre Louis Agondjo OkaweGabonese Progress Party19,9614.78
Pierre Claver Maganga MoussavouSocial Democratic Party15,2203.64
Jules-Aristide Bourdes-OgouliguendeIndependent14,1133.38
Alexandre SambatIndependent10,8192.59
Didjob Divungi Di NdingeDemocratic and Republican Alliance9,2032.20
Léon Mbou YembiAfrican Forum for Reconstruction7,6251.83
Jean-Pierre Lemboumba-LepandouIndependent Centre Party5,7681.38
Marc Saturnin Nan NguémaIndependent3,5790.86
Simon Oyono AbaMORENA–Original3,4660.83
Adrien Nguemah-OndoMORENA–Unionist1,8420.44
Léon Mébiame1,5830.38
Total417,719100.00
Valid votes417,71997.92
Invalid/blank votes8,8752.08
Total votes426,594100.00
Registered voters/turnout484,31988.08
Source: African Elections Database

References

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  1. ^ History of Gabon
  2. ^ Elections in Gabon African Elections Database
  3. ^ David E. Gardinier & Douglas A. Yates, Historical Dictionary of Gabon (2006), Third Edition, page 277.
  4. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p404 ISBN 0-19-829645-2