Gabon's new ruler promises democracy

Cape Town [South Africa], September 3: Three days after seizing power in a coup in Gabon, the Central African country's new military ruler on Saturday pledged to introduce more democracy.
The suspension of all state institutions is a temporary measure, General Brice Oligui Nguema said on state television.
"The idea is to reorganize them to make them more democratic," Nguema said, without specifying any concrete steps to do so or a timetable for new elections.
A spokesman for the putschists, Ulrich Manfoumbi, said later that Gabon's borders had been reopened with immediate effect. The move was intended to send a signal that the new rulers had the "firm will" to "respect our international commitments," Manfoumbi said.
The military initially closed all land, sea and air borders after the overthrow of President Ali Bongo on August 30. Nguema, the head of the presidential guard, was then named as the new ruler.
Four days earlier, Bongo had been elected for a third term, according to official results that the putschists subsequently annulled, deeming them to be falsified.
The Bongo family, which has ruled autocratically for more than 50 years, has long been accused of corruption.
Gabon's population of about 2.3 million people lives mostly in poverty despite the country's oil wealth. The African Union (AU) has suspended Gabon's membership due to the coup and condemned the military takeover.
The AU previously also suspended Niger's membership after the military took power there in late July. Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Sudan have also been suspended since coups in those countries.
In a televised address on Friday evening, Gen Nguema said the military would move "quickly but surely" to restore civilian rule but did not give a timeline. He said they would avoid elections that "repeat the same mistakes" by keeping the same people in power.
Omar Bongo was in power for 41 years before his son Ali succeeded him following his death in 2009.
Ali Bongo's subsequent election victories have always been marred by opposition claims of widespread fraud.
Source: Qatar Tribune