Libreville, 24 July-(ANA)-Gabon's new Prime Minister Paul Biyoghe Mba has formed a new government that includes the ruling party's presidential candidate Ali Ben Bongo, but dropped rivals ahead of the election.
Ali Bongo, son of the late president Omar Bongo Ondimba, has been defence minister since 1999, and is the candidate of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) to run for the office his father held for 41 years.
Ali Ben Bongo was chosen from among 10 would-be candidates from the ruling PDG after becoming prominent in the media and widely tipped as a front-runner following his father’s death aged 73.
Most members of the previous government retained cabinet positions, but also absent from the new team are two other presidential candidates, Andre Mba Obame, who was in charge of coordination, and Paul Mba Abessole, the former vice premier in charge of culture. (ANA)
Amnesty/Report