Libreville, 04 Sept-(ANA)-Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba has succeeded his late father, Omar Bongo Ondimba as the president of Gabon after he was declared winner of the presidential election.
Bongo, 50, was among 17 candidates who took part in the election in which the country voted for only its third president since gaining independence from France in 1960.
Bongo’s father came into office following the death of the country’s first president, Leon M’Ba, in 1967.
Omar Bongo was the world’s longest-serving national leader at the time of his death at the age of 73.
Bongo’s populist campaign included promises to increase social housing by building 5,000 new homes a year and raise the minimum wage to FCFA 150,000 ($325 a month) from about 80,000 francs.
Violence erupted after the declaration of the results as opposition activists clashed with security forces.
The French consulate in the city of Port Gentil was set on fire and shortly after Paris advised its 10,000 citizens in the country to stay at home.
Also in Port Gentil, opposition supporters are reported to have stormed a jail, freeing its inmates.
In the capital, Libreville police used teargas and batons to disperse protests.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders have denounced the poll results as a fraud and accused Ali Bongo and his supporters of carrying out a coup d'etat. (ANA)
Amnesty/Report