PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Gabon's re-elected President Ali Bongo shrugged off international calls for a recount of last week's disputed vote, saying it was a matter for the constitutional court to decide.

The European Union has questioned the validity of election which the opposition has dismissed as a sham. France, the former colonial ruler of the central African oil producer, has said a recount would be wise

Asked in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesday whether he would permit a recount, Bongo told France's RTL radio: "What people should be asking me to do is apply the law. I cannot violate the law. As far as a recount is concerned ... that's done at the level of the Constitutional Court."

Opposition leader Jean Ping, who has said the election was stolen, called on Tuesday for help from the international community. He told Reuters: "Everybody knows the result and everybody knows that Bongo is doing everything not to accept it."

Ping has said he has no faith in the constitutional court because it was tied to the Bongo family and that he wants a recount done under international supervision before any appeal to that court.

Asked about the possibility of forming a unity government with the opposition, Bongo said it was premature to discuss such a move.

"I will be the president for all Gabonese, I will work with all my compatriots who want to join me in working for the development of the country. But it is difficult to work with those who asked the Gabonese people to go into the streets and loot." (Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Astrid Wendlandt and Andrew Heavens) </s> Gabon's Bongo says for Constitutional Court to rule on vote recount

PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Gabon's re-elected President Ali Bongo said he would be a leader for all Gabonese people and that it was for the Constitutional Court to decide whether there should be a recount of last week's disputed vote result.

The European Union has questioned the validity of the result which saw Bongo win by a wafer-thin margin and France has said a recount would be wise.

Asked in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesday whether he would permit a recount, Bongo told France's RTL radio: "What people should be asking me to do is apply the law. I cannot violate the law. As far as a recount is concerned ... that's done at the level of the Constitutional Court." </s> LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Gabon’s President Ali Bongo shrugged off growing international pressure on Wednesday to recount last week’s disputed election, saying it was a matter for the constitutional court to decide.

Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba votes during the presidential election in Libreville, Gabon, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Gerauds Wilfried Obangome

Opposition leader Jean Ping, who has branded the Aug. 27 election a sham, said he did not trust the court. The European Union has also questioned the validity of the results and France, the former colonial ruler, backs the idea of a recount.

The poll and its violent aftermath - at least six people have died in riots - have drawn international attention to Gabon, which counts Total and Royal Dutch Shell PLC among foreign investors. The inflow of petrodollars have made it one of Africa’s richest nations by GDP per capita, but they have mostly benefited the elite.

Asked in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesday whether he would permit a recount, Bongo told France’s RTL radio: “What people should be asking me to do is apply the law. I cannot violate the law. As far as a recount is concerned ... that’s done at the level of the Constitutional Court.”

Bongo, whose family has ruled Gabon for half a century, said that under the electoral law, his opponents had until 1400 GMT (10.00 a.m. ET) on Thursday to lodge their complaints with the court. He said he was preparing his own objections.

Ping, a former diplomat, said he had no faith in the constitutional court, the highest legal body that can rule on an election, and said any recount should take place under international supervision.

“The constitutional court is the Bongo family. We know that,” Ping told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday.

Ping’s camp has alleged the number of votes cast for Bongo in southeastern Haut-Ogooue province was inflated. Official figures show the president won 95.46 percent of the vote, after a 99.9 percent turnout.

“I AM A DEMOCRAT”

The African Union has said it will send mediators to Gabon this week. The United Nations, which will send a representative to attend the process, is encouraging the opposition to file an appeal with the constitutional court.

“We hope the African Union mission ... will demand, as did President Ping, as well as national and international public opinion, a recount polling station by polling station,” said Ping spokesman Rene Ndemezo Obiang at a press conference.

Obiang said Ping had yet to appeal to the court.

“Are we going to?” he said. “We shall see.”

Asked whether he would accept the court’s ruling if it did examine the results, Bongo told Europe 1 radio: “I am a democrat. I am in favor of the Constitutional Court taking up the case.” He added he expected it would rule in his favor.

Bongo said any suggestion of forming a unity government with opponents was premature.

“It is difficult to work with those who asked the Gabonese people to go into the streets and loot,” he said.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, whose country was once close to Bongo’s father and predecessor, suggested on Tuesday a recount would be sensible, and urged the Gabonese authorities to help locate about 15 French nationals who are missing.

“They are among those who rioted and looted and were therefore arrested,” Bongo said, adding that six dual nationals would be treated like any citizen of Gabon. </s> LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — The dispute over Gabon's presidential election has intensified as opposition candidate Jean Ping is mounting a legal challenge and demanding a recount.

Ping has already publicly declared himself the winner, even though election results said incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba won the Aug. 27 vote.

FILE-In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba, leaves the Elysee Palace after a meeting with French President Francois Hollande as part of preparation of the upcoming COP21 Climate Conference in Paris, France. President Ondimba on Wednesday Sept. 7, 2016 tried to deflect European Union observers' findings of a voting anomaly in his stronghold province that pushed him over the edge to win re-election, accusing his lead opponent of ballot fraud and a plot to seize power. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

Those results showed Bongo won by less than 2 percentage points. There is no provision for a runoff in this Central African nation.

European Union observers have expressed concern about results in Bongo's stronghold province.

Bongo's campaign has said it also planned to contest results at some of the polling stations.

Bongo came to power in 2009 after the death of his father, who had ruled Gabon for more than four decades.

FILE - In this Thursday Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, Gabonese Police stand guard on a barricade following an election protest in Libreville, Gabon. Post election violence in Gabon has killed between 50 and 100 people, the opposition presidential candidate said Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, a toll much higher than the government's count of three in days of violent demonstrations against the president's re-election. ( AP Photo/Joel Bouopda, File) </s> PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Gabon's re-elected President Ali Bongo, who has come under international scrutiny following his razor-thin election win last week, said on Wednesday that if electoral fraud was committed it was by his opponent Jean Ping.

"Jean Ping has committed fraud," Bongo said in an interview with France's Europe 1 radio.

Opposition leader Ping has said the vote was stolen by Bongo. The European Union has questioned the validity of the result and France has said a recount would be wise. (Reporting by Richard Lough; editing by Astrid Wendlandt) </s> A poster of Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba is seen as supporters of opposition candidate Jean Ping rally in Libreville on the last day of the presidential election campaign on August 26, 2016. By Marco Longari (AFP/File)

Libreville (AFP) - Gabon's President Ali Bongo and his only serious rival have both claimed victory in this weekend's presidential election, and accused each other of cheating.

Barely had the last ballots been cast Saturday evening before the incumbent's spokesman declared: "Bongo will win... we are already on our way to a second mandate."

Bongo, 57, has been in power since a disputed election held in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who had ruled the oil-rich Central African country for 41 years.

On Sunday, the campaign manager of Bongo's rival Jean Ping told reporters that the former head of the African Union Commission had won 60 percent of votes counted so far, just under half of the total, against 38 percent for the president.

He also accused Bongo of "trying to push his way through," with the backing of the army.

"That's totally crazy," countered Bongo's spokesman. "It's tight, but we are ahead."

All of this was said in defiance of Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya, who has insisted only results from the election commission validated by his ministry had any validity.

Before polling began Boubeya said everything was "in place to guarantee a transparent and impartial election".

The poll will be decided by a simple majority and results are expected on Monday.

African Union and the European Union observers said that aside from some delays, the poll itself, in which some 628,000 people were eligible vote, passed off without serious incident.

But the acrimony that had marked the campaign period continued into the weekend with each of the main rivals accusing the other of mischief.

"We have observed massive fraud, in particular in areas where opposition representatives arrived in polling stations first," said Bongo's spokesman.

As he cast his own ballot Saturday morning Ping told reporters, "We know the other side is trying to cheat. It is up to you to be vigilant."

His team had said that a Friday court ruling would allow soldiers, who tend to support Bongo, a former defence minister, to "vote several times in several polling centres".

On Sunday, the streets of the capital, Libreville, were almost deserted.

Fearing a repeat of the violence that followed Bongo's victory in 2009, many residents, who had stocked up on food, stayed indoors.

Even those shops and stalls usually open on Sundays were shuttered.

"There is no trouble in this district for now but we want to get the results soon," said Honore, a watchman.

"We'll see how the candidates react. I hope it won't be like last time," he added.

In the clashes that followed the 2009 victory, several people were killed, buildings were looted and the French consulate in Port Gentil, which saw the words of the violence, was torched.

Until shortly before polling day, Bongo was the clear favourite, with the opposition split by several prominent politicians vying for the top job.

But earlier this month, the main challengers pulled out and said they would all back Ping.

Both candidates have promised to break with the past.

Faced with repeated charges of nepotism, Bongo has long insisted he owes his presidency to merit and years of government service.

His extravagant campaign made much of the slogan "Let's change together", and of roads and hospitals built during his first term.

Ping described Bongo's attempts to diversify the economy away from oil as window dressing.

One third of Gabon's population lives in poverty, despite the country boasting one of Africa's highest per capita incomes at $8,300 (7,400 euros) thanks to pumping 200,000 barrels of oil a day.

There has been growing popular unrest in recent months, with numerous public sector strikes and thousands of layoffs in the oil sector. </s> Gabon opposition candidate calls on President Bongo to "acknowledge his defeat"

LIBREVILLE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Gabon opposition candidate Jean Ping on Monday called on President Ali Bongo to "acknowledge his defeat" in a weekend presidential election, telling reporters in the capital Libreville that unofficial tallies give him a clear edge.

The Central African oil producer's interior minister called Ping's move to pre-empt an official announcement of the poll results, which is expected on Tuesday, by declaring victory on Sunday an attempt to manipulate the democratic process. (Reporting By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Joe Bavier and Toby Chopra) </s> GABON President Ali Bongo has accused international observers who highlighted anomalies in the country’s contested presidential election of bias.

Mr Bongo criticised the European Union mission observing Gabon’s election after questions were raised over his narrow victory.

He also accused opposition leader Jean Ping of a “massive fraud”.

“If we want to address the anomalies, we must be clear, balanced and address any anomalies,” he said.

BBC stated that on Tuesday the EU questioned the legitimacy of the election results in Gabon on 27 August.

The Constitutional Court is expected to meet on Thursday to consider a challenge by Mr Ping.

Mr Bongo said he would respect the wishes of the court if it ordered a recount.

The EU mission said there was a “clear anomaly” in the results from Mr Bongo’s home province after official figures from Haut-Ogooue showed a turnout of 99.93 per cent, with 95 per cent of votes cast for the president.

Mr Ping, who lost the election by less than 6,000 votes, has pointed to the results in the province as evidence of electoral fraud.

He has called for a general strike and said that dozens of his supporters have been killed in violent clashes since the result was announced.

The Gabonese authorities say three people have died and 105 have been injured in street violence and mass arrests have taken place. </s> Gabonese President Ali Bongo casts his vote at a polling station in Libreville during the presidential election on August 27, 2016. By Marco Longari (AFP)

Libreville (AFP) - Security forces clashed with protestors in Gabon's capital Libreville on Wednesday shortly after authorities announced the re-election of President Ali Bongo by a narrow majority, an AFP reporter said.

"Ali must go!" shouted demonstrators as security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to stop them reaching the headquarters of the election commission.
Ali Bongo Ondimba rejects calls for a recount.