Some Gabonese voters encountered delays on Saturday as they took part in presidential, legislative and local elections that the opposition hopes will foil President Ali Bongo's bid for a third term.
Of Bongo's 18 challengers, six from major opposition parties have backed a joint nominee in an effort to narrow the race.
Voting was meant to kick off across the Central African country at 0700 GMT, although several polling stations in the capital Libreville saw significant delays, a Reuters news agency reporter said.
Posts on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, reported voting had started in some areas, but others noted their polling stations were still closed.
Results announcement
The extent of the delays was not immediately clear. The election commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Polls are scheduled to close at 1700 GMT, although it was not clear if this could be pushed back at polling stations where voting started late. There is no fixed deadline for the announcement of results.
The delays could add to concerns about the post-electoral period, which in Gabon has previously seen unrest linked to the opposition disputing the result.
"This election is very tense because I don't think a vote in our country has ever started so late," said voter Jeff Mbou at a polling station in Libreville's Martine Oulabou school, as groups of confused voters milled about.
The vote is a much-anticipated test of support for Bongo, whose detractors say he has done too little to funnel Gabon's oil wealth towards the third of its 2.3 million population living in poverty and question his fitness to govern after a stroke in 2018.
Read more: Gabon elections 2023: The issues at stake as Ali Bongo seeks third term
