Well, a country’s gotta have role models, right?
It appears that the opposition leader in Gabon, Andre Mba Obame, decided that Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo provides a model for all aspiring leaders and declared himself president today. This despite the fact that (admittedly disputed) official election results in August 2009 went to Ali Bongo, son of Omar Bongo Ondimba, who held power for more than four decades before his death two months before the 2009 election. Mba Obambe, who finished third in that election, on Wednesday also named a prime minister, who “unveiled” a new government of eighteen members.
The government reacted by dissolving Mba Obame’s National Union party “with immediate effect,” stripping him of public responsibilities, including his seat in parliament. According to Interior Minister Jean-Francois Ndongou, who made the order to ban the National Union party, Mba Obame and his backers have formed an “‘insurrectional government’ in violation of the constitution,” amounting to high treason.
Laurent Gbagbo was apparently unavailable for comment.
