She is the first woman to hold this position in Gabon. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda was appointed Prime Minister on July 16 by the Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba. At 56, she replaces Julien Nkoghe Bekalé, who has headed the government since January 2019.
"By decree of the President of the Republic, was appointed Prime Minister, Head of Government, Madame Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda" , announced the presidency in a statement. Ali Bongo loaded it"to form the new government" , adds the text.
Today I appointed Ms. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda as Prime Minister.
For the first time in the history of #Gabon, a woman will hold this position.
I thank his predecessor, @Pm_JulienNkoghe, who fulfilled his mission with loyalty and efficiency. pic.twitter.com/vI5vQewHat
"This appointment surprised the entire political class in the country," comments Ismaël Obiang Nze, France 24 correspondent in Libreville, the capital of Gabon. "However, she is not an unknown in the political seraglio of the country," he adds. His name was already circulating for the primature in 2019, but Julien Nkoghe Bekalé had been preferred to him. This time, while Gabon is struggling with a socio-economic crisis linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, this technocrat, close to Ali Bongo Odimaba,has become obvious.
An economist to revive the country
For his skills in matters of economy and public finance in the first place. This economist by training, a graduate of the Gabonese Institute of Economy and Finance with a specialization in public finance, began her career as Director General of Economy and Deputy Director General of the Housing Bank of Gabon in early 2000s.
Then she entered government in 2012 as Minister of the Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service, during the first term of the Head of State. An ideal profile for those who must tackle two major challenges today: bringing the oil sector down at a half mast since the fall in the price of a barrel in 2014 and stemming the Covid-19 crisis. In this central African country, which had registered 6,121 cases and 46 deaths as of July 15, the distribution of drinking water and food kits has been a real headache as many business leaders fear post bankruptcy -confinement.
Its priority "mission" will be to "provide the economic recovery and social support necessary due to the global crisis linked to covid-19", details the press release from the office of the president. "The state lost hundreds of billions of CFA francs during the health crisis. This crisis should occupy the Prime Minister as soon as he takes office," says Ismaël Obiang Nzé.
Former Mayor of Libreville
Her solid experience as an elected official in the field must also have played in her favor, because it was above all as an official of Libreville that she made an impression. "As mayor, she has forged a reputation as a woman of character. She has achieved remarkable results there," recalls Ismaël Obiang Nzé.
In 2013, this Mpongwè [people of Congo], originally from Libreville, was elected municipal councilor in the 3rd arrondissement of the capital under the label of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, in power) - and on the list of Patience Dabany, the mother of Ali Bongo Ondimba. Then in 2014, she was elected mayor of the capital, a first since 1956.
At the head of Libreville, a city which concentrates almost a third of the population of Gabon, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda has led many reforms, in particular cleaning up municipal finances and leaving a surplus of nearly 27 billion francs on departure. CFA [41 million euros].
A close friend of Bongo
In January 2019, the city councilor found the government as Minister of State, head of National Defense. An appointment which came less than three weeks after the attempted coup d'etat of some soldiers who had, for a few hours, seized public radio and television.
Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda therefore asserts herself as the trusted person on whom the president can count when times are troubled. However, this reshuffle comes while the opposition and personalities from civil society are publicly questioning the state of health of Ali Bongo, elected head of Gabon almost 11 years ago by succeeding his father , Omar Bongo Ondimba, but physically weakened by a stroke that struck him in October 2018.
With AFP
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