Gabon’s president, Ali Bongo, is expected to win reelection on Saturday, extending the 56-year stranglehold his family has had on political power in the oil-producing central African nation.
His bid for a third term comes just months after the constitution was changed to make provision for the president to be elected in a single round, a move that could favor the incumbent because it splits the opposition vote. A new system also obliges voters to choose their preferred leader and lawmakers from the same party.
