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. </s> LIBREVILLE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Gabon President Ali Bongo won re-election in a hotly contested weekend election with 49.80 percent of ballots cast, according to final results announced by Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya on Wednesday.

Bongo's chief rival Jean Ping, who had already announced he won the vote, came second with 48.23 percent, Moubelet said, amid turnout of 59.46 percent of the oil producing country's roughly 600,000 voters.

Election commission members from the opposition rejected the result. (Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome; writing by Joe Bavier; editing by Mark Heinrich) </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> The military in Gabon has seized power from the current president, Ali Bongo, whose family has been in office for over 50 years. Ali Bongo succeeded his father Omar Bongo as president in 2009. He narrowly won re-election in 2016 in a poll marred by violence and accusations of fraud.

Soldiers in the oil-rich West African country say they launched a coup “to restore democracy”.

They took control of the national radio station at 04:30 local time to read a short statement announcing a “National Restoration Council”.

Tanks and armed vehicles can be seen on the streets of the capital Libreville.

Mr Bongo, who has been out of the country for two months, reportedly suffered a stroke in October and received treatment in Morocco.

The government is yet to react to this development.

Also, Like us on facebook </s> The controversial re-election of President Ali Bongo in August 2016 by just a few thousand votes led opposition leader Jean Ping to claim that victory had been stolen from him.

LIBREVILLE - Oil-rich Gabon, ruled by the same political dynasty for nearly half a century, votes Saturday in long-delayed legislative and municipal polls after a presidential election two years ago that was marred by deadly violence and allegations of fraud.

The controversial re-election of President Ali Bongo in August 2016 by just a few thousand votes led opposition leader Jean Ping to claim that victory had been stolen from him.

Violence broke out and dozens of people were killed according to the opposition, but the government says only four died.

Ping's headquarters was bombed and the opposition also claimed that widespread human rights abuses were committed by armed militias that took to the streets.

But ahead of this weekend's vote, pushed back three times since 2016, the campaign was low key.

Posters dotted the capital Libreville asking the country's 680,000 voters to turn up to elect 143 new MPs as well as other local officials.

'TORN BY CRISIS'

Political divisions run deep in the equatorial African nation, ruled by Omar Bongo since 1967 and by his son Ali after Bongo's death in 2009.

And Gabon's oil-dependent economy has been hit by falling crude prices.

"I am not sure that this election will ease tensions because since 2016, the country has been torn by a crisis that has divided families and changed the political scenario," said political expert Wilson Andre Ndombet.

The opposition, which rallied around Ping in 2016, is now fractured, easing the way for the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) which too is facing party in-fighting.

Ping, a veteran diplomat who once headed the African Union Commission and held senior UN posts and describes himself as the elected president, has so far not commented on Saturday's election.

He was a stalwart in Omar Bongo's government.

Some opposition parties have called for a boycott but the others are contesting the vote.

"There is no real opposition in Gabon," said Gabin Yalanzele from the ruling PDG.

A supporter of a party of an opposition figure who has now entered the government, said he was not given money to hand out to people who turned up for election rallies but added: "We simply offer free T-shirts or a meal."

"The party in power certainly has access to some facilities but there are opposition figures who are rich and who just stall the country's progress," said Chadi Moukarim, who is second on the list for a local seat in Libreville.

A Libreville resident, who identified himself as just Steven, said the ruling party and the opposition were "buying consciences" with T-shirts and other goodies.

"The electoral process has always been biased," said Ndombet, adding that "officials manning voting stations were bought" by the ruling party.

The government has said it will close the country's borders on polling day and ban alcohol sales on the eve of the vote and throughout Saturday. </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> Gabon's President Ali Bongo said Sunday that he is "calmly" waiting for the result of the country's presidential election to be published, after his rival Jean Ping claimed victory following Saturday's vote.

"We respect the law... so we are waiting calmly for Cenap (the national election commission) to announce the results of the election," Bongo told a crowd of supporters in his first public remarks since the poll.

Official results are not due out until Tuesday and some voters voiced fears of a repeat of the violence seen after a disputed 2009 election. </s> LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — The United Nations secretary-general is urging political stakeholders in Gabon to avoid making statements on the outcome of Saturday's presidential election until results are announced.

Opposition candidate Jean Ping has said early results show he will win in the oil-producing central African country.

Ping is trying to unseat President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who came to power in 2009 after the death of his father, longtime ruler Omar Bongo. The Bongo family dynasty stretches back to the 1960s.

Gabon's interior ministry said Sunday it is illegal to make a proclamation before the electoral commission announces results, which are expected Tuesday.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon's statement on Monday says Gabon's elections were peaceful. Bongo's victory in 2009 sparked clashes between protesters and security forces. </s> GABON opposition candidate Jean Ping called on President Ali Bongo on Monday to “acknowledge his defeat” in a weekend presidential election, telling reporters in the capital Libreville that unofficial tallies give him a clear edge.

Bongo’s camp said on Sunday that it was set to win the single-round contest and accused Ping’s supporters of fraud, charges that could presage confrontation between the two sides.

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 an attempt to manipulate the democratic process.

“Based on nearly all the affidavits … we are able to affirm that I am the winner of the presidential vote,” Ping said. “I encourage Ali Bongo to submit to the verdict of the ballot box.”

He also called upon the Gabonese people to “defend their choice throughout the country and overseas”.

Ping said he had told the American and French ambassadors in Libreville that he intended to guarantee the security of Bongo and his family, who have ruled the nation of some two million people for nearly 50 years.

Bongo, 57, first won election after his father Omar died in 2009 after 42 years in office. Declining oil output and falling prices have resulted in budget cuts in recent years, however, providing fodder for opposition claims that average Gabonese have struggled under his leadership.-Reuters
Ali Bongo is re-elected President of Gabon.