The main opposition parties in Gabon have agreed to put forward a joint candidate for next week's presidential election to challenge incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba, the head of the alliance announced Friday.
Francois Ndong Obiang, president of the Alternance 2023 opposition grouping, said that the main opposition figures, who had previously been looking at selecting their own separate candidates, had eventually chosen former education minister Albert Ondo Ossa as a "consensus" candidate in a bid to unseat Bongo who has been in power since 2009.
The elections are scheduled for next week. A total of 19 candidates had registered as candidates for the presidency.
President Ali Bongo Ondimba has announced his intention to stand for re-election for a third term. Term limits were removed from the constitution in 2003.
Bongo rose to power in a 2009 election after the death of his father, Omar Bongo and won re-election in 2016.
