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Gabon justice minister resigns over Bongo re-election





Seraphin Moundounga resigns over government's failure to organise recount as President Bongo's win touches off riots.

Gabon's justice minister has resigned in protest over the re-election of President Ali Bongo, which has prompted accusations of fraud and street riots that have killed at least six people.

Bongo has claimed victory by a slender margin of around 6,000 votes, but opposition leader Jean Ping has called a general strike in response to what he says is a fraudulent re-election.

Seraphin Moundounga resigned on Monday over the government's failure to organise a recount.

"Having noticed that the government was not responding to concerns about the need for peace and for the consolidation of democracy, I decided to ... step down from my functions as a member of government," Moundounga told Radio France Internationale.

France had joined the EU and the US in calling for the results to be published according to each polling station but, until now, had stopped short of demanding a recount.

Al Jazeera's Catherine Soi, reporting from the capital, Libreville, said that government officials tried to downplay Moundounga's resignation.

"They say that the former minister, of all people, should know ...  that the law says that aggrieved party ... needs to go to the Constitutional Court, file a petition, and only the Constitutional Court can order a recount." 

Al jazeera's correspondent added,  that the resignation was "very embarassing to the government" and "a significant blow" to Bongo.
"This was a powerful minister who held a very powerful docket," Soi said.
Hundreds of people have been arrested in recent days in the capital Libreville [AFP]
Ping, a veteran diplomat, called for the general strike to force "the tyrant" out.

"We cannot accept that our people will be killed like animals without reacting," Ping wrote on Facebook.

"I propose to cease all activity and begin a general strike. We must use all means of resistance to topple this tyrant and believe me, he is on the verge of falling."

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