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C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000538 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR A/C FOR LISA KORTE 
INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL GB
SUBJECT: GABON: RULING PARTY LOSING GROUND IN OPPOSITION 
STRONGHOLD 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Gabon's ruling Democratic Party is on the 
verge of losing its only toehold in Port Gentil, the 
country's second largest commercial center and opposition 
stronghold.  Port Gentil's current mayor, Andre Jules 
Ndjambe, is likely to be ousted in the next week after losing 
the confidence of his own party.  By all accounts, Ndjame's 
failure to demonstrate leadership during the anti-government 
rioting following the announcement of the presidential 
election results and mismanagement of local issues made his 
continued tenure as mayor untenable.  Also, following the 
death of Omar Bongo who struck a deal with the opposition 
that gave Ndjambe the mayor's seat, Port Gentil's opposition 
was ready to flex its muscles and call off the deal. 
Unfortunately for the ruling party, Ndjambe's successor will 
most likely be opposition party leader Maitre Seraphin Ndaot, 
who was popular during his previous tenure as mayor. 
 
--------------- 
The Odd Man Out 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Port Gentil's current mayor, Andre Jules Ndjambe, is 
likely to be removed from his position in the next week, 
leaving the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) without a 
flagbearer in the opposition stronghold and key commercial 
center.  Ndjambe was never popular due to his PDG links, 
questionable tactics that led to his installation, and poor 
performance.  Moreover, the ruling party gradually withdrew 
its support for Ndjambe after he failed to deal effectively 
with the deterioration of the security situation during the 
post-election violence that occurred in September.  Ndjambe 
reportedly fled the city during the violence.  Embassy 
contacts tell us that the PDG is working behind the scenes to 
find a way for it to keep some influence in the city despite 
the probable loss of the mayor's seat.  Opposition members of 
the city council have publically announced they will not 
support Ndjambe's budget proposals and are unwilling to work 
with the mayor on other projects. 
¶3. (C) Ndjambe's potential removal is popular with the people 
of Port Gentil where he is widely viewed as incompetent and 
corrupt.  Under Ndjambe, little has been done to improve the 
infrastructure of the city, and social services such as trash 
collection have become inconsistent.  Ndjambe is also under 
investigation for receiving multiple salaries as Mayor. 
Ndjambe's improbable rise as a PDG mayor in a town known for 
its anti-PDG sentiments is cause for a number of persistent 
rumors, particularly that a deal was struck by late President 
Omar Bongo with the opposition that gave Ndjambe the mayor's 
office.  Specifics include that the PDG negotiated and bribed 
a number of leading politicians to support Ndjambe's rise and 
the ouster of the more popular, then-serving mayor, Maitre 
Seraphin Ndaot. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶4. (C) The opposition will undoubtedly savor Ndjambe's 
removal, and Ndaot's return could create a popular and 
charismatic opposition leader at a time when the opposition 
is rudderless.  For President Bongo and the PDG, the loss of 
Ndjambe's position means that their influence in Port Gentil 
and its important economic centers will drastically decrease 
and any government initiative in Port Gentil with Ndaot in 
power will become significantly more difficult.  In effect, 
Port Gentil could become an autonomous city, operating in 
spite of leadership and funding from Libreville rather than 
because of it.  President Ali Bongo has not, as far as we can 
discern, entered the fray and asserted the kind of 
deal-making initiative wielded by his father.  END COMMENT. 
REDDICK