The 100 days of Oligui Nguéma – Gabonews

2023-12-20 09:27:59

The 100 days of Oligui Nguéma

December 20, 2023

Talking about the 100 days of the CTRI amounts to taking stock of its magisterium. I have observed its mode of operation since August 30. My first observations led me to understand that we have here, supporters of the executive power who are not very political.

These are soldiers who discover politics by training and reforming. Indeed, I have noted errors and some dispersions which can create, in certain Cartesian minds, a certain confusion and incomprehension. But you have to look at CTRic actions with other glasses. This is what I set out to do. The difficulty of breaking away from the old system is unfortunately visible.

Some will say that we cannot create the new by putting the old aside. I can understand it. However, we are in Transition! We are in an exceptional situation! And people’s expectations are enormous. Above all, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are coming out of 56 years of a system or a power that wanted to maintain itself at all costs. This is 56 years of electoral charades. We must dare to say it and denounce it.

56 years of a regime more concerned with its own survival than the well-being of the populations.

An increasingly demeaning and austere autocratic system. With the CTRI, it is the end of despotism.

So we are waiting for a new era and a new air.

From there, we understand that the CTRI cannot only restore institutions, it must go further, establish trust among the populations, be capable of leading Gabonese men and women towards a peaceful future.

Furthermore, I observed that his political project is built gradually, not only in one-off actions, borderline situations (floods, severe unemployment, the macabre road network, inflation…) but also in the restoration of values, all in a short time of two years, until the next elections. It took me a little while to figure it out. This is certainly why my look is no longer the one I started with. Very rigorous and demanding since the duration of the CTRI is known, I was waiting for this finished time to further follow its crossing. Two years, its duration. Two years pass quickly. There are so many things to do, to redo, to restore, but the return of constitutional order is necessary for our democracy.

In fact, I recognize the efforts and self-sacrifice in resolving existential problems and improving the living and working conditions of our populations. I particularly appreciated the remarkable and admirable mobilization of military engineering and public works who worked for 48 hours to put back in place the road network suspended by the torrential rains on the national road. Well done.Without forgetting the considerable reduction in external debt. Well done again. The challenge is more than appreciable even if much remains to be done. As well as the 1000 budget items, the updating of the Civil Service file and increased press freedom.

Everything that has just been said indicates that the actions of the CTRI are not only oriented towards its abysmal mission, namely, the restoration of institutions, the revision of the Constitution and the development of a reliable electoral code. The CTRI seeks the well-being of our populations. His politics and his public actions tell me that there are ambitions in the air. I don’t say this with irony but rather with logical reasoning. The CTRI is preparing and paving its way. And besides, it is enough to read the configuration or the political and civil colors in the two Houses of Parliament to understand that he has already chosen his allies. The new majority is taking shape.

Beyond the above, another observation led me to question the place of women in CTRic time. The representation of women is lower compared to countries like Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, etc.

And yet, paragraph 24 of the Preliminary Title of our Constitution states that “the State promotes equal access for women and men to electoral mandates as well as political and professional responsibilities›› and law n°009/2016 of September 5, 2016 sets the access quotas for women (30%) and young people (20%) to elections and that of women to senior state jobs in no way guides nominations.

Some verifiable illustrative examples:

-at the High Authority of Communication (HAC), the office has 8 members including 1 woman (12.5%);

– the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) has 60 appointed Councilors including 11 women (18%) and its office which has 7 members has only 1 woman (14%)

– the Constitutional Court has 9, including 2 women (28.57%)

– the Government has 27 ministers including 7 women (26%)

– the National Assembly has 98 appointed deputies including 25 women (25%) and its office has 12 members including 2 women (16%)

– the Senate has 70 appointed senators including 14 women (20%) and its office of 13 members, 4 women (30% finally!)

This enumeration and these statistics allow me to affirm beyond any doubt that CTRic appointments do not respect the law on quotas. And this is why I think that the reformulation of Paragraph 24 is judicious, which would obviously be based on this law setting quotas (during the upcoming National Consultation).

Sandrine NGUÉMÉBÉ ENDAMANE