Opening of the national dialogue in Gabon: its objectives, its expectations, its limits
The Inclusive National Dialogue opens this Tuesday, April 2 in Libreville. For a month, nearly 600 people, politicians, civil society, religious, military and others must discuss a profound reform of the country, seven months after the coup d'état which overthrew the power of Ali Bongo.
A view of Libreville, September 7, 2023. AFP - -
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Choirs, songs, music, renowned artists and speeches are on the program at the Libreville Sports Palace where the official ceremony is expected to attract several thousand people.
The real debates will begin on Wednesday April 3 at the Angondjé stadium where participants will meet in plenary to adopt the latest texts and finalize the working method. The approximately 600 people will be divided between three commissions: political, economic and social, themselves divided into a dozen sub-committees.
The selection of participants raises eyebrows
The dialogue office, responsible for steering this month of discussions, is dominated by religious people "
for reasons of independence
", explains
Mays Mouissi, Minister of the Economy
who will participate in the event. Around 125 representatives of political parties will be there, knowing that the government has only granted one member per party. But the military will come in force with 64 members of the CTRI, the organ of the junta. NGOs, teachers, young people, trade unionists and even disabled people will also be represented.
However, there will be absentees, and not the least, which gives rise to criticism. Leading personalities were not invited, whether leaders of institutions, the Prime Minister, the presidents of the Senate, the Assembly, but also politicians like the former candidate Albert Ondo Ossa , or party leaders. In other words, in the eyes of certain personalities, it is an exclusive and non-inclusive dialogue.
Richard Moulomba Mombo is one of the lucky political leaders invited to the dialogue. He hopes to use all his weight to assert the priorities of his party, the Alliance for National Revival. “
For us, the priority question is that linked to the tools which guarantee electoral transparency. Besides that, the Bongo system which is the real evil of our country, must be dismantled
,” he pleads.
For several days, the Coalition for the New Republic, close to the opponent Jean Ping, has denounced the way in which the dialogue was prepared. Vincent Moulengui Boukosso, who will lead the delegation, issues a warning to the soldiers. “
We will participate in this dialogue, not to say yes but to defend the revision of the Constitution of the electoral system and the establishment of a Truth, Justice, Reconciliation commission.
»
Guy Nzouba Ndama, president of the Les Démocrates party, is one of the big names in Gabonese politics who have been sidelined. “
I don’t feel frustrated at all. It’s part of their philosophy
,” he says, conciliatory.
Journalists' associations and many other parties who say they have been forgotten do not despair. Even a few hours before the opening of the dialogue, they continue to ask the president of the Transition, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguéma to review the list of participants. The authorities responded that in all, the parties still had more than 100 representatives, and that it was also necessary to renew
Gabon
's political class and not always have the same leaders present for decades.
Another criticism: dialogue is not sovereign, so its conclusions will not be imposed. But the power to retort that sovereignty does not belong only to the participants in the dialogue when the country has 2.5 million inhabitants. Ultimately, the dialogue will present recommendations to President Oligui Nguema. And even if the final report will not be binding, the participants hope that the process will lead to a profound reform of the country. Moreover, the reforms that will follow the dialogue will include the adoption of a new Constitution by referendum at the end of the year.
“
Building the Gabon of tomorrow
”
Basically, this meeting is supposed to establish a diagnosis of the institutional, social and economic situations, to put on the table all the major political and social concerns of the moment. Then to propose orientations to define the main principles of organization of the State and public authorities. For a month, Gabonese society will look each other in the eye, consult each other, debate, to ultimately try to “
build the Gabon of tomorrow
”, in the words of the Minister of the Economy. “
On the economic level, we expect the Gabonese to make the right decisions, which will allow us to build a strong Gabon, in regional politics, in diplomatic relations with our neighbors and more distant countries. We are ready to hear proposals for reform. There is no set timetable. If we ever have Gabonese people who tell us that the right path to follow is this and that they are the majority, we will follow this path
,” promises Mays Mouissi.
The Gabonese people did not wait for this call to show their expectations: they sent some 38,000 contributions during the months of consultation launched by the government. “
Expectations are very high, the Gabonese have a lot of concerns. But unlike in the past, all questions will be addressed
,” confides a participant.
Father Jean Bernard Asseko Mve, spokesperson for the dialogue, recalls the great expectations surrounding this event. : “
The Gabonese people would like their country to achieve true democracy where the Gabonese will have the freedom to choose their leaders. Then, Gabon was a rich and very underpopulated country and, today, the Gabonese population is unfortunately poor. She therefore expects the leaders to be able to distribute wealth in such a way that all Gabonese people are happy, so that a greater number benefits from Gabon's wealth.
» Finally, continues the spokesperson, the dialogue aims to “
bring the Gabonese to a form of reconciliation
”: “
there has been, during the last two decades, a breakdown in what we can call national unity” , “to the point where there was a class war”. “The Church wanted to take advantage of this dialogue to reconcile the Gabonese people among themselves. It is only united in harmony and fraternity that we can look together towards a meaningful future.
»
Also read: National dialogue in Gabon: “Power must return to the people”
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