The announcement sparked some unrest in Gabon's second city and more is expected in Libreville [AFP]Ali Bongo, the son of Gabon's long-time leader Omar Bongo, has won an election to succeed his late father, the interior minister has announced.
Officials said on Thursday Bongo had won the election with 41.73 per cent of the vote.
Just over 800,000 voters registered to take part in Sunday's election, which was called after Omar Bongo's death in June, ending nearly 42 years of tight rule over the central African oil nation.
"[Ben Bongo] is elected," Jean-Francois Ndongou, the interior minister declared on state television on Thursday.
Opposition supporters in Gabon's second city set fire to France's consulate general after Ali Bongo was declared the winner of the election, witnesses said.
Security forces used tear gas earlier to disperse hundreds of opposition supporters who had led an overnight sit-in on a square near the election commission in the capital Libreville.
A witness said the streets of Libreville were empty on Thursday apart from a heavy security presence.
Results questioned
Ali Bongo's rivals had said they feared the official results were being massaged to ensure a dynastic succession from father to son, an accusation Bongo, the former defence minister, has denied.
Observers and financial markets have played down the risk of major instability in the tiny country, but some unrest was expected given the dispute over the result.http://english.aljazeera.net
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