PARIS: Gabon’s embattled President Ali Bongo on Wednesday accused EU observers who criticized his country’s election of overlooking irregularities in the camp of his rival, Jean Ping. On Tuesday, the observer team reported a “clear anomaly” in voting in Haut-Ogooue province, Bongo’s heartland. “I would also have liked them to have noted some anomalies in the fiefdom of Mr Ping,” Bongo told France’s RTL radio. The opposition has bitterly contested the vote in Haut-Ogooue, where official results showed turnout at more than 99 percent with 95 percent voting for Bongo. One third of its population lives in poverty, even though the country boasts one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes—$8,300 annually—thanks to oil revenue.

Source: Manila Times September 07, 2016 07:07 UTC