Editing Gabon (section)

===== Bongo's re-election and rule =====
[[File:Omar Bongo with George Bush May 26 2004-01.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|President [[George W. Bush]] welcomes President [[Omar Bongo]] to the [[Oval Office]], May 2004]]

Following President [[Omar Bongo]]'s re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Civil disturbances and violent repression led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which some opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement broke down, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. PDG won in the legislative election, and some cities, including [[Libreville]], elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election.<ref name=bn/>

====== Boycott of elections and crisis ======
Facing a divided opposition, President Omar Bongo coasted to re-election in December 1998. While some of Bongo's opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, some international observers characterized the results as representative, "despite many perceived irregularities". Legislative elections held in 2001–2002 were boycotted by several smaller opposition parties and were criticized for their administrative weaknesses, producing a National Assembly dominated by PDG and allied independents. In November 2005, President Omar Bongo was elected for his sixth term. He won re-election, and opponents claim that the balloting process was marred by irregularities. There were some instances of violence following the announcement of his win.<ref name=bn/> National Assembly elections were held in December 2006. Some seats contested because of voting irregularities were overturned by the [[Constitutional Court of Gabon|Constitutional Court]], and the subsequent run-off elections in 2007 yielded a PDG-controlled National Assembly.<ref name=bn/>