In a recent announcement, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Gabon, Raymond Ndong Sima, disclosed the military government’s dedication to organizing free elections within the next two years.
Ndong Sima assumed his role just last week as the leader of the transitional government, following General Brice Oligui Nguema’s August coup against President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
At 68 years old, Ndong Sima is an economist educated in Paris. He previously served as prime minister during Bongo’s presidency from 2012 to 2014. Interestingly, he later became a critic of Bongo and even ran against him in the 2016 and 2023 presidential campaigns. The announcement of Ndong Sima’s appointment was made on state television via a decree issued by General Oligui.
According to the guidelines laid out in the transitional constitution, members of this temporary government will not be eligible to run in the upcoming presidential election. Additionally, General Oligui has committed to implementing a new constitution through a nationwide referendum and introducing a revised electoral code.
Prime Minister Ndong Sima views the two-year transition to civilian rule as a reasonable objective for bringing stability to the country. He emphasized that while the initial goal is to complete the process in 24 months, the duration could vary slightly.
Furthermore, he stressed the principle that there should no longer be a clear distinction between opposition and majority factions in politics. Instead, the government aims to include people from all political backgrounds. Notably, the military’s role is to remain impartial and serve as objective election arbitrators rather than participating directly in politics.
