Presidential election in Equatorial Guinea: the population divided between continuity and change
A view of the Equatorial Guinean capital, Malabo in 2015 (Illustration image).
© Diego Ramos/EyeEm/Getty Images
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
About 500,000 voters in Equatorial Guinea are due to go to the polls on Sunday, November 20 to decide between three candidates, on the occasion of the presidential election.
Many want to continue with outgoing President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, presented as
a "peacemaker
".
Others want to separate from him, citing in particular the lack of jobs and justice.
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With our special correspondent in Malabo,
Loïcia Martial
Halfway between the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE, in power) and that of national television, Juan Nguema runs a small telephone credit transfer establishment.
This young thirty-year-old cannot imagine his country without the president,
Teodoro Obiang Nguema
.
“
He is my candidate, I vote for him every day because his policy is very transparent.
Since he took power, there has been a lot of freedom of expression.
Peace and the construction of the country: this is Obiang Nguema
”.
Moreover, the Equatoguinean government strives to promote stability, peace and development that it says guaranteed by the outgoing president and candidate for re-election Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
His camp welcomes “
a campaign that is taking place without incident
”.
Supporters of President Obiang Nguema are already singing victory through the voice of Manuel Ndong, a member of the outgoing president's campaign team.
Manuel Ndong (majority): “As long as Obiang is here, we are at peace”
Loicia Martial
Arguments supported by José Manuel Edou Biebo who also transfers telephone credit to an adjacent street.
“
Our president is a good gentleman.
Our country is well advanced with our President Obiang
,” he said.
“
No democracy and social justice in Equatorial Guinea
”
Praise swept away by Andrès Essono Ondo, main opponent of the regime and presidential candidate.
“
Mr. Obiang did not bring freedom to Equatoguineans.
I believe that without freedom no country can develop.
There is no democracy and social justice in [Equatorial] Guinea
,” criticizes the opponent.
The latter regrets that police and even government activists have been sent to prevent some of his meetings from taking place.
The opposition is campaigning on fairness, social justice and the restoration of democracy, which it considers ineffective, fledgling, or even non-existent.
Andrés Essono Ondo: “I think we need a change”
Loicia Martial
While waiting for the end of the campaign on Friday, several regional organizations are deploying their observers, the largest contingent of which, 200 observers, is sent by the CPLP, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.
Followed by the African Union (AU) which has planned about fifty.
The Economic Community of Central African States (Ceeac) will also be there with 25 observers.
Just like Cemac, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa.
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Teodoro Obiang Nguema
Equatorial Guinea