harinjaka’s blog maivana

(CNN) -- Security forces patrolled deserted streets in Gabon's capital as citizens of the west African nation awaited official presidential results amid growing fears of violence, witnesses told CNN on Thursday.

Voters in the oil-rich nation went to the polls Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo, who died in June after more than four decades in office.

Bongo, 73, was Africa's longest-serving ruler. His son, Ali Bongo, a candidate for the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party, was one of the main contenders.

Local media reports indicated that the younger Bongo had won, but CNN was unable to confirm those results.

"The Gabonese have come out of 42 years of dictatorship; they don't care who will be the next president, as long as it is not Bongo," Andriankoto Ratozamanana told CNN by phone from the capital, Libreville. "They want change. They don't want Bongo, because he is his dad's son."

Libreville was deserted because residents had fled to villages for fear of post-election violence, Ratozamanana said.

"The citizens won't accept if Ali Bongo wins, because that will mean the government stole the vote," Ratozamanana said.

The younger Bongo, a former defense minister, was one of 23 politicians originally in the ballot. Several candidates pulled out a few days before the vote to support the opposition, said Archippe Yepmou, a media activist.

Bongo, main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou and former interior minister Andre Mba Obame have all claimed victory.

The elder Bongo took power in 1967, seven years after the country's independence from France.

He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country's first president, who died in office. He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991, but his party retained its grip on the government despite that.

The nation of about 1.5 million has a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, according to the CIA World Factbook.

Despite its wealth, which also comes from timber exports, a large percentage of its population lives in poverty because of poor financial management and a huge gap between the rich and the poor.

Voici le témoignage de M. Andriankoto Harinjaka Ratozamanana, journaliste Malgache qui a assisté à la première nuit de grève de la Faim pour une réelle démocratie au Gabon.

16/08/09 ( Libreville)

6H30 – Le jour se lève a Libreville.

Nous avons passé la nuit à camper auprès  de M. Bruno Ben Moubamba (alias BBM)

Les discours clés qu’il a prononcés ont été projeté via un rétroprojecteur pendant une partie de la nuit. Ont défilé également des photos de la manifestation qu’il a initié vendredi dernier, place de Rio.

Pendant ce temps sous la grande tente, BBM recevait les journalistes également qui defilaient pour des interviews, mais plus frappant encore, certains venaient également lui témoigner leur soutien.

En ce moment, BBM dort et la vie continue a Libreville
PS: Message envoyé à partir d’un téléphone portable,  Depuis le parvis de
l’Assemblee Nationale du Gabon. Libreville 16/08/2009

Madagascar has been undergoing a political crisis, the worst since many years. Anti-government acts subsided in capital but intensified elsewhere in the country .

We have been lately to the East coast. From Ambositra to Vangaindrano, passing by Fianarantsoa, Manakara, Farafangana, and realise that  Anti-government activities is intense elsewhere in the last two mounths. Most of the time, the political confrontation turne to violent riots.

Actually, thousands and thousands of Women and Kids are also Anti Ravalomana and it is a fact.

In Ambositra, a town 260 km south of the capital city almost all government officials fled the city, all taxi brousse are stopped hours and hours because of huge protestation in town.

In Fianarantsoa, an anti-government demonstration since many days...Many people addressed an anti-government gathering saying that residents in betsileo were deceived by Ravalomanana...

In Manakara, more than thousands anti-government demonstrators...The opposition headed by former Mayor Martial Rakamisilahy lead the kmd (Komity Manohana ny Demokrasia) were given appointments within the local city hall and we where there hasardly since we runned out of oil in this town.

Because all oil station was closed, we had to stay their few hours, but late in the afternoon last Tuesday, we witnesses police fired on the crowd including us. Gunfire and grenades was heard around in some neighborhoods... it was very very scary since we was strangers in the middle of this turmoil ...Furious, people responded by throwing stones ...

Thanks God we where safe.

In farafangana, we witnesses the burned private plane of the Minister of Economy Ivohasina Razafimahefa who have been the victim of an assault during a visit into the province.
Most of local radio stations were shut down or interrupted by the government, we tried SMS's to have some latest news but no one is able to tell the reality.

Disinformation is on every media, and we can't trust none of them. Sometimes, the private Radio Don Bosco play some latest news from RFI (international french Radio with some news from their correspondant in Mada). But is it the Truth ?

Anyway, this are pictures I took personally and this I bilieve. Many Malagasy people ask Ravalomanana and it's Governement to leave ...NOW.