Gabon: [Tribune] Why sovereign national conferences (SNC) instead of inclusive national dialogue (IND)?

Rédaction Africa Links 24 with La Rédaction
Published on 2024-02-22 14:03:54

Gabon is preparing to experience a historic turning point with the upcoming holding of the National Sovereign Conference (ANS). But why not call it the Inclusive National Dialogue (DNI) as originally planned? This is the question posed by Apprentice-Sage Mr. Ngomo Privat in a scathing opinion piece. According to him, the term DNI would be unsuitable in the current Gabonese context, from a semantic, historical and inclusivity standpoint. The ANS seem much more appropriate to address the issues of this decisive national debate. The author makes 6 recommendations to the Transition government to ensure its success. © GabonReview. Privat Ngomo, general manager of the NewPower movement. © D.R. In a few months, our country, Gabon, will enter the most critical historic moment of the Transition. This crucial moment where the Gabonese will take hold of the sovereign power to decide the future of their country. In fact, the Gabonese people, long deprived of sovereignty since the pseudo-independence of 1960, have the unprecedented opportunity to come together, peacefully and fraternally discuss republican issues and agree consensually on fundamental points that will shape their living together in all aspects of national life. The Inclusive National Dialogue (DNI) will be convened by the new authorities of the country to allow for this long-awaited national debate eagerly anticipated by all Gabonese populations who are eager for a rapid change in their living conditions. If the principle of a popular forum is accepted by all parties, it’s important to make some nuances and reservations in the group of words supposedly carrying this proposal. It should be noted that the noun phrase Inclusive National Dialogue was conceived by the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) to concretize the need for debate among the Gabonese people. But is the group of words DNI relevant? The question deserves to be asked in light of certain aspects that seem interesting to raise. Semantically: dialogue from the Greek “dia” and “logos” refers to a conversation between two entities: the majority and the opposition. However, since August 30, 2023, there is no longer a majority (PDG and allies) and an opposition (Alternance 2023 and others), as acknowledged by the President of the Transition, General Brigadier Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema himself. According to him, there are only Gabonese people, from all social and political classes, who are brought together to “sit” under the tree of discussions to debate the future of their country. Historically: since the return to multi-partyism in our country in 1990, presidential elections have been held for thirty years with the same and distressing scenario that has never honored the country’s reborn democracy. The violent post-election crises that have always occurred have required political dialogues to calm socio-political tensions. The Gabonese people had the Paris Accords after the first dialogue in 1994 in the French capital. The second political dialogue in 2006, which led to the Arambo accords, followed the highly contested election in December 2005 of Omar Bongo Ondimba as President of the Republic. In 2010, the national conference demanded by André Mba Obame, the real winner of the contested presidential election of August 30, 2009 usurped by Ali Bongo Ondimba, never took place. The third dialogue, that of Angondjè, held in 2017, came after the electoral fraud and the heinous massacre that characterized the presidential election of August 27, 2016, won hands down by Jean Ping Okoka. It is a safe bet that if Nouredinne Bongo Valentin’s Young Team had succeeded in its takeover on August 30, 2023 – with certainly the support of Oligui Nguema – the Gabonese people would have been served another dialogue. The formula has since become well known and worn out. All these dialogues held in Gabon over three decades, but for what tangible results for the benefit of the Gabonese people? To overcome the jinx in 2024, it is necessary to begin by rejecting the terminology of DNI because of a sad history. In terms of inclusivity: adding the term “inclusive” to “national” to characterize the dialogue actually reflects the absence of inclusivity. Indeed, if the dialogue is national, it is necessarily inclusive because the entire nation is invited. So why add “inclusive”? It is certainly to mask the real absence of inclusivity and representation of all Gabonese because the provinces of Gabon are the most forgotten in this affair. In reality, nothing concrete is being done to involve them. Everything is happening in the capital, and as for the provinces, well, they will just have to follow along! This disregard for the profound Gabon is unacceptable at this fateful moment when all Gabonese, without exception, must come together and redefine the contours of their country for the next 50 years. These three arguments presented objectively discredit the group of words DNI, which is why the Sages prefer the term National Sovereign Conference (ANS), especially since the notion of “sovereignty” does not appear in the acronym DNI. Why choose National Sovereign Conference? Conference: because the Gabonese who want to contribute to the development of their country must “sit down” in the Mbandja or Aba’a to rebuild our beautiful country, which has fallen into neglect. The Gabonese people will thus reconnect with a centuries-old tradition to which they have remained attached. National: all Gabonese people desiring to participate in this great debate and meeting the selection criteria will be able to express themselves and contribute to the rebuilding of our institutions. All provinces must be represented and not marginalized. Each of the 10 provinces (including the diaspora) should delegate 15 members to speak on their behalf and in the interest of all of Gabon. Sovereign: the President of the Transition, responding during the solemn presentation of greetings to the designated prelate to preside over this national debate, affirmed to the entire world that this meeting will be transparent and sovereign. The metropolitan archbishop, Archbishop Jean-Patrick Iba-Ba, rightly posed this question because he had in mind the disappointment of the 1990 National Conference that was not sovereign. To make the holding of these ANS possible and successful, the Transition government would be well inspired to consider the following 6 important points: Acknowledge the terminology National Sovereign Conference (ANS) rather than Inclusive National Dialogue (DNI); Involve the 10 provinces of Gabon by sending field missions for this purpose; Define the terms of reference of the ANS, i.e., the organization and functioning of the ANS, not forgetting the themes for discussion and the duration of the ANS; Determine the total number of participants in the ANS and the quality of public figures or various organizations to take part; Determine the locations for the ANS and prepare them accordingly; Determine the total budget for the ANS. The Apprentice-Sage Ngomo Privat.

Read the original article(French) on Gabon Review