Gabon announces date for presidential election
The presidential election in Gabon will take place on 12 April, as government spokesman SĂ©raphin Akure-Davain officially announced early Thursday morning. This was decided the day before at a cabinet meeting of the transitional government of General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. Although the election date is within the transitional government’s timetable – which envisages the transition to civilian rule being completed by August of this year – there were critical reactions. Former Vice President Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou, for example, criticised the lack of consultation with political actors when setting the date. He also accused Nguema of organising the election process to suit his own political ambitions.
The announcement of the election date was preceded by the adoption of a new electoral law on Monday. After a ten-day extraordinary session, 168 members of the bicameral parliament agreed on the adoption of the National Commission convened by Interim President Nguema in December last year, as VĂ©nĂ©rable Eloi Ekouma Abessolo, spokesman for the Senate’s legal commission, announced in a televised press conference.
The 383-article electoral law stipulates, among other things, that citizens with dual citizenship may run for all political offices without having to renounce their non-Gabonese nationality. However, the Presidency is excluded from this regulation. In addition, the law grants the diaspora two seats in parliament. Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior is to be responsible for organising elections in future and no longer the local governments, as was previously the case. A nine-member independent committee is to be established to oversee the preparation and organisation of the election.
According to the electoral law, military personnel and judges will, unlike in the past, also be allowed to stand for elections in future, provided they take leave beforehand. This article has been criticised by the opposition in particular. The latter sees the regulation as a further step by Interim President Nguema to pave the way for his presidential candidacy, after his candidacy was not ruled out in the new constitution, which was adopted by referendum in November last year (press review 47/2024). The new electoral law must now be confirmed by the Constitutional Court. In the meantime, preparations for the election are already underway. Biometric voter registration began on 2 January and is expected to be completed by the end of January.
The setting of the election date and the adoption of the new electoral law represent another important step in the transition to civilian rule in the Central African country. In August 2023, the military deposed long-time ruler Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family had ruled the country for almost 60 years (press review CW 35/2023).
Nigeria becomes BRICS partner country
Last Friday, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the official admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the BRICS group. This makes Nigeria the ninth BRICS partner country after Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan. Nigeria is not only one of the largest economies, but also the most populous country on the African continent, shares converging interests with other BRICS Member States and plays an active role in strengthening global South-South cooperation – priorities that Brazil has also set itself for its current BRICS presidency, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The category of partner countries was introduced at the last BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024 and is intended to further promote the diversification of global economic relations and the strengthening of the Global South in international organisations (press review CW 43/2024). Partner country status allows countries to participate in the group’s activities and summits without being a voting member or fully integrated into the organisation.
According to Daniel Bwala, advisor to the Nigerian President, Nigeria’s admission as a partner country will enable the country to enter into deeper strategic partnerships with the BRICS countries beyond traditional bilateral agreements. Accordingly, recognising Nigeria as a BRICS partner is a decisive moment for the country’s economic development. There was also a positive response from representatives of the Nigerian economy. Economist Emeka Okengwu emphasised the economic power and global significance of the BRICS, which now accounts for 40% of global economic output and 55% of the world’s population with its ten Member States. The partnership with BRICS could, among other things, help Nigeria to increase its productivity and competitiveness and thus bring about the much-needed economic upturn. Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) recently fell to around USD 195 billion due to an almost 70% devaluation of the national currency, causing Nigeria to fall behind Algeria, South Africa and Egypt in a continental comparison. Critical voices, on the other hand, doubt that the West African country can achieve significant economic growth through the BRICS partnership. Nigeria’s infrastructural and economic problems are too great. It could also put a strain on relations with other countries outside the BRICS group.
In other new
The 17-year-old South Sudanese baseball player Joseph Deng signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team last Saturday. This makes him the first player from South Sudan to join a Major League Baseball (MLB) team and only the second African player to join the MLB this year after Ugandan Armstrong Muhoozi of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Deng, who is over two metres tall and weighs 83.9 kg, shows great potential as an outstanding pitcher. He impresses with a powerful fastball that travels at 95 miles per hour and is accompanied by a nifty splitter. With the selection of Deng, the Dodgers set an example for the promotion of diversity in sports and the scouting of exceptional talent worldwide. Deng was discovered in February 2024, after social media user Charlie Meyer uploaded a video of him pitching. Meyer regularly uploads short videos of African baseball players with the aim of promoting young talent.