120:, Kombila was expelled from the party in July 1998, leading Kombila's supporters to form their own faction and nominate Kombila as their presidential candidate later in the month. Mba Abessole, who continued to lead the other faction, accused Kombila of "treachery and indiscipline". Mba Abessole was officially designated as his faction's presidential candidate at an extraordinary congress in Libreville in early October 1998. He was considered the most best-known opposition leader in Gabon; however, his credibility as an opposition leader was thought to have suffered, and it was believed that the RNB split would have a negative impact on his candidacy. In the election, he took third place with 13.16% of the vote, according to official results; Bongo won an overwhelming majority, while
233:, Mba Abessole was elected to the National Assembly, winning the third seat for Komo-Kango Department. In an election that saw the ruling PDG win an overwhelming majority of seats amidst an opposition boycott, Mba Abessole was one of only a handful of non-PDG candidates to win parliamentary seats. When the National Assembly began meeting for its new parliamentary term, Mba Abessole chaired the initial proceedings due to his status as the oldest deputy at age 72. He was then elected as the Fifth Vice-President of the National Assembly on 27 February 2012.
154:, this time with Eyeghe Ndong holding the position of Prime Minister, and Mba Abessole was defeated. President Bongo said that holding a ministerial position was not dependent on winning a parliamentary seat and that Mba Abessole could remain a member of the government. In the new government, announced on January 25, 2007, Mba Abessole was moved to the position of Deputy Prime Minister at the Presidency in charge of Recasting, Human Rights, the Coordination of Great Work and Revolving Festivals.
70:
party"; Bongo met with him and said that he would consider Mba
Abessole's proposed reforms. This conciliatory attitude from Bongo annoyed some PDG hard-liners. Following M'ba Abessole's May 1989 visit, he returned to Gabon on a permanent basis in November 1989. Bongo offered to appoint Mba Abessole as Minister of Justice after the March–April 1990 National Conference, but Mba Abessole refused to participate in the government.
139:, and on January 27, 2002 he was appointed to the government as Minister of State for Human Rights. He was subsequently promoted to the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Rural Development, in charge of Human Rights, on January 21, 2003. Later, his portfolio was modified and he was named Deputy Prime Minister for Transport, Civil Aviation, and Human Rights.
147:; it also wanted him to become Prime Minister if Bongo won the election. Bongo accepted this as a possibility, and on June 26, 2004, Mba Abessole said that he was willing to take up the responsibility. However, others in the Presidential Majority resisted the idea of Mba Abessole becoming Bongo's campaign manager.
77:, Mba Abessole stood as a MORENA candidate in Libreville. In the first round, he received 49.44% of the vote in his constituency, slightly less than the majority required for a first round victory; suspecting fraud, he refused to participate in the second round and called for a boycott of the second round.
167:
of
Libreville, which had been vacated by Eyeghe Ndong. Mba Abessole was the only candidate for the seat and received the votes of all of the 20 electors in this indirect election. In the government named on December 28, 2007, he was moved to the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Culture, Arts,
84:. He was the main opposition candidate in the election and placed second with 26.5%, according to official results, while Bongo was credited with a narrow first round majority. Denouncing the official results as fraudulent, Mba Abessole declared himself President and appointed RNB First Secretary
69:
during the 1980s and argued for peaceful political change in Gabon. President Bongo, hoping to indicate that he was open to reform, allowed Mba
Abessole to visit Gabon for a week in May 1989. On that occasion he was "treated more as a visiting dignitary than the leader of a suppressed political
209:
from the government on 7 August 2009. In mid-August he said in reference to the PDG's selection of Bongo (Omar Bongo's son) as its candidate that "we are faced with a monarchy that wants to impose itself in our country" and that "we have to fight until the monarchists are thrown out".
54:, located in northern Gabon, in 1939. He attended a French seminary and was ordained as a Catholic priest on 30 June 1968. He worked as a priest in Gabon until 1976, when he went to France, where he then lived in exile. As a critic of President Bongo and the single-party regime of the
225:
but was barred from doing so by police, who said that they were under orders to not allow opposition leaders to leave the country. The
Interior Ministry explained on 9 September 2009 that this was because of a government investigation into the Port-Gentil rioting.
142:
On April 23, 2004, Mba
Abessole joined the Presidential Majority, the alliance of parties supporting President Bongo. A youth movement, the Movement of the Children of Bongo Ondimba, then asked Mba Abessole to serve as Bongo's campaign manager for the
1023:
100:
The RNB won the late 1996 municipal election in
Libreville, and Mba Abessole was then elected as Mayor of Libreville by the city councillors on 19 January 1997; he received 68 out of 98 votes. Mba Abessole also stood in the
88:
as Prime
Minister. His house in Libreville, along with the opposition radio station Radio Liberty, was destroyed by the Presidential Guard in February 1994, and he went to Paris. In March 1994, Prime Minister
217:, a former PDG minister who was standing as an independent candidate. Mba Obame placed second in the election with 26% of the vote, behind Bongo. The election was followed by serious violence in
1033:
182:
Following Omar Bongo's death in June 2009, the RPG held its 11th
Extraordinary Congress on 11 July 2009 and nominated Mba Abessole, its President, as the party's candidate for the
452:
27:
743:
559:
1013:
538:
666:
482:
213:
In late August, immediately prior to the election, Mba
Abessole and four other candidates announced that they were withdrawing their candidacies in favor of
261:
881:
93:
offered to include the RNB in the government, but Mba
Abessole rejected the offer. He also refused to participate in the government of Prime Minister
205:
Together with several other candidates, Mba Abessole was present at a banned demonstration calling for the resignation of PDG presidential candidate
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318:
861:
838:
792:
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66:
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42:, the capital. From 2002 to 2009 he served in the government of Gabon, holding the rank of Deputy Prime Minister for most of that period.
1063:
183:
144:
117:
81:
59:
1028:
1003:
456:
230:
151:
136:
705:
951:
893:
908:
110:
1038:
966:
931:
815:
198:(PEC), an opposition party. Mba Abessole was then excluded from the government appointed on 22 July 2009 under Prime Minister
722:
191:
176:
663:
587:
486:
258:
97:, which was formed after the signing of the Paris Accords between the government and the opposition in October 1994.
132:
286:
55:
195:
187:
85:
998:
647:
38:
during the 1990s. He stood as a presidential candidate twice during the 1990s and also served as Mayor of
179:. Subsequently he filed an unsuccessful challenge with the Constitutional Court related to the election.
664:"L'idée de désignation de Mba Abessole, directeur de campagne de Bongo Ondimba suscite la réaction de"
993:
858:
835:
789:
528:"Gabon: Four opposition members join new government", Radio France Internationale, January 28, 2002.
199:
94:
757:
690:
632:
620:
214:
51:
352:
737:
553:
128:
121:
439:
161:
by-election held on July 1, 2007, Mba Abessole was elected to the first seat from the second
222:
970:
935:
912:
865:
842:
819:
796:
709:
702:
670:
591:
265:
158:
124:, who was perceived as a more radical opposition leader than Mba Abessole, placed second.
90:
539:""Remaniement "cadeau" pour l'ex-opposant Mba Abessole, battu Ă la mairie de Libreville""
928:
905:
415:
774:"Gabon: Paul Mba Abessole élu sénateur après avoir mordu la poussière aux législatives"
163:
987:
206:
963:
812:
773:
836:"Gabon: Présidentielle anticipée : Trois partis apportent leur soutien au RPG"
859:"Gabon: Six ministres absents sur la liste de la nouvelle Ă©quipe gouvernementale"
790:"Gabon: La liste complète du nouveau gouvernement gabonais rendu public vendredi"
221:. A few days after the announcement of results, Mba Abessole tried to travel to
218:
929:"Gabon : La Cour Constitutionnelle valide la victoire d’Ali Bongo Ondimba"
427:
381:"Opposition in Gabon takes the offensive", Associated Press, December 12, 1993.
758:"Gabon: formation d'un gouvernement quasiment inchangé après les législatives"
584:
39:
35:
369:
290:
418:, IRIN-WA Update 259 of Events in West Africa, 25–27 July 1998.
343:(1997), ed. Clark and Gardinier, Westview Press, pages 149–154.
287:""Jean Eyeghe Ndong, la premiere surprise reserve par Bongo Ondimba""
813:"Gabon : La Cour Constitutionnelle déboute Paul Mba Abessole"
32:
Rassemblement national des Bûcherons - Rassemblement pour le Gabon
23:
906:"Gabon : 5 candidats derrière Mba Obame pour contrer le PDG"
703:"Media predicts waning popularity for Gabonese opposition leader"
339:
David E. Gardinier, "Gabon: Limited Reform and Regime Survival",
80:
On October 5, 1993, Mba Abessole announced his candidacy for the
723:""Gabon : composition du gouvernement Jean Eyeghé Ndong""
648:"Mba Abessole accepte de diriger la campagne de Bongo en 2005"
194:(RNB), both part of the Presidential Majority, as well as the
58:(PDG), he sought to stand as a candidate against Bongo in the
259:"Paul Mba Abessole, De l'opposition radicale au gouvernement"
633:"Opposition radical joins the governing alliance in Gabon"
1024:
National Woodcutters' Rally – Rally for Gabon politicians
483:""Le gouvernement du Gabon, remanié le 27 janvier 2002""
186:. He was immediately backed by three other parties: the
691:"Pro-Bongo parties reject ex-rival as head of campaign"
168:
Community Education, Refoundation and Human Rights.
882:"Clashes at Gabonese demo against defence minister"
440:"Gabon: Background brief on presidential elections"
34:, RNB-RPG) and was a leading opponent of President
541:. Archived from the original on September 11, 2004
150:He and Eyeghe Ndong faced each other again in the
725:. Archived from the original on February 14, 2007
171:Mba Abessole headed the RPG's list in the second
742:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
611:, volume 50, September 2004, Gabon, page 46,191.
558:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
1034:Movement for National Rectification politicians
428:"Father Abessole put up for Gabonese president"
519:, volume 48, January 2002, Gabon, page 44,541.
416:"Gabon: Ruling party seeks Bongo re-election"
28:National Woodcutters' Rally – Rally for Gabon
8:
394:, volume 40, March 1994, Gabon, page 39,896.
643:
641:
1014:Members of the National Assembly of Gabon
760:, Agence France-Presse, January 26, 2007
712:, Angola Press Agency, December 20, 2006.
468:, Afriquecentrale.info, January 20, 2006
952:"Opposition leaders may not leave Gabon"
404:Country Report: Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
242:
884:, Agence France-Presse, 7 August 2009.
735:
580:
578:
551:
341:Political Reform in Francophone Africa
335:
333:
331:
314:
312:
109:of Libreville, but he was defeated by
65:Mba Abessole was the exiled leader of
7:
954:, Sapa–AFP, 10 September 2009.
453:""Nouveau locataire Ă la Primature""
365:
363:
254:
252:
250:
248:
246:
231:December 2011 parliamentary election
184:30 August 2009 presidential election
152:December 2006 parliamentary election
137:December 2001 parliamentary election
103:December 1996 parliamentary election
621:"Gabon - Opposition joins alliance"
118:December 1998 presidential election
82:December 1993 presidential election
14:
623:, Africa Research Bulletin, 2004.
609:Keesing's Record of World Events
517:Keesing's Record of World Events
392:Keesing's Record of World Events
1074:Human rights ministers of Gabon
1049:Deputy prime ministers of Gabon
568:, number 263, January 29, 2003
502:, number 244, February 6, 2002
272:, number 244, February 6, 2002
1054:Agriculture ministers of Gabon
1009:Members of the Senate of Gabon
964:"Guy Nzouba reste au perchoir"
799:, Gabonews, December 28, 2007
319:"Political leadership (Gabon)"
1:
973:, Gaboneco, 28 February 2012
938:, Gaboneco, 4 September 2009
894:"Gabon poll could be delayed"
748:, Gabonews, January 26, 2007.
693:, Panapress, August 10, 2004.
390:"Mar 1994 - New Government",
372:, African Elections Database.
302:, Gabonews, January 20, 2006
192:National Rally of Woodcutters
111:Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane
1079:Transport ministers of Gabon
1069:Education ministers of Gabon
1044:21st-century Gabonese people
1019:Gabonese democracy activists
822:, Gaboneco, January 6, 2009
635:, Panapress, April 25, 2004.
585:List of governments of Gabon
105:as a candidate in the fifth
22:(born October 9, 1939) is a
1059:Aviation ministers of Gabon
915:, Gaboneco, 29 August 2009
650:, Panapress, June 27, 2004
430:, BBC News, 3 October 1998.
75:1990 parliamentary election
62:, but was unable to do so.
1095:
1064:Culture ministers of Gabon
896:, Reuters, 14 August 2009.
196:Party of Equal Opportunity
188:National Recovery Movement
177:April 2008 local elections
145:2005 presidential election
60:1979 presidential election
1029:Mayors of places in Gabon
1004:Lon Morris College alumni
868:, Gabonews, 23 July 2009
845:, Gabonews, 12 July 2009
776:, Gabonews, July 2, 2007
442:, IRIN, December 4, 1998.
175:of Libreville during the
56:Gabonese Democratic Party
50:Mba Abessole was born at
26:politician who heads the
354:Africa Research Bulletin
1039:People from Libreville
127:Mba Abessole defeated
489:on September 11, 2004
607:"Sep 2004 - Gabon",
515:"Jan 2002 - Gabon",
357:(1993), page 11,183.
86:Pierre-André Kombila
459:on February 6, 2006
95:Paulin Obame-Nguema
16:Gabonese politician
969:2012-05-27 at the
934:2009-09-11 at the
911:2009-08-30 at the
864:2009-07-26 at the
841:2009-07-13 at the
818:2009-10-02 at the
795:2008-01-02 at the
708:2007-09-26 at the
669:2011-07-16 at the
590:2008-11-21 at the
370:Elections in Gabon
264:2002-05-02 at the
131:for a seat in the
293:on April 12, 2007
190:(MORENA) and the
133:National Assembly
129:Jean Eyeghe Ndong
122:Pierre Mamboundou
20:Paul Mba Abessole
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406:(1997), page 12.
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325:, March 5, 2008.
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200:Paul Biyoghé Mba
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266:Wayback Machine
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215:André Mba Obame
91:Casimir Oye Mba
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975:(in French)
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652:(in French)
596:(in French)
570:(in French)
504:(in French)
470:(in French)
304:(in French)
274:(in French)
219:Port-Gentil
988:Categories
729:2007-02-14
594:, IZF.net
545:2004-09-11
493:2008-10-10
463:2007-02-07
297:2007-04-12
237:References
52:Ngnung-Ako
40:Libreville
36:Omar Bongo
967:Archived
932:Archived
909:Archived
862:Archived
839:Archived
816:Archived
793:Archived
738:cite web
706:Archived
667:Archived
588:Archived
554:cite web
262:Archived
24:Gabonese
675:L'Union
229:In the
135:in the
73:In the
323:Jane's
159:Senate
67:MORENA
46:Career
157:In a
744:link
560:link
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