Gabon VP takes over amid President Bongo’s illness

Gabon’s top court has ruled that the vice president will chair
the cabinet in the absence of President Ali Bongo, who remains in
hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Bongo had been in the Saudi hospital after suffering a stroke
last month.

The decision, announced by the constitutional court on
Wednesday, was the first move to fill the vacuum left after Bongo
was admitted to hospital during a conference on October 24.

Bongo had not been seen in public since and his state of health
was unknown.

The government said he suffered a bout of fatigue and was
recovering, but sources told Reuters that he had a stroke.

“Only the president has the power to chair the Council of
Ministers.

‘Unfortunately he is temporarily unavailable for health reasons,
and temporary unavailability is not addressed by the constitution,”
said Gabon’s Prime Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet, who leads the
cabinet.

The Bongo family has ruled the oil-producing country for nearly
half a century.

Bongo has been president since succeeding his father, Omar, who
died in 2009. His re-election in 2016 was marred by claims of fraud
and violent protest.

(Reuters/NAN)