By Ren Yaqiu
LIBREVILLE, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ali Bongo Ondimba, the victor in the Aug. 30 presidential elections, took oath of office on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Libreville and succeeded his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who died on June 8 at the age of 73, after ruling the West African country for 41 years.
Ali Bongo Ondimba, the victor of Gabon's presidential elections, takes oath of office on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Libreville. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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"I swear to use all my efforts for the good of the people of Gabon, to ensure their well-being and protect them, to respect and defend the Constitution and guarantee freedom, to consciously carry out my duties and ensure justice for all," he swore with his hand raised up.
The ceremony was attended by eight African heads of state: Theodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Francois Bozize of Central African Republic, Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin and Fradique de Menezes of Sao Tome and Principe.
The inauguration of Ali Bongo was conducted by the Constitutional Court.
The opposition did not participate in the ceremony, where Ali Bongo declared that he is the head of state for all the people of Gabon.
Ali Bongo Ondimba, the victor of Gabon's presidential elections, takes oath of office on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Libreville. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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His ambition, he said, is to make Gabon an emerging economy. At this point, he announced that it was time to get back to serious work.
"I wish for a Gabon free from corruption and injustice, I wish for a Gabon where the elites move freely and more of them come up, I wish for a Gabon where merit is appreciated, and where the right punishment is given to those who break the law," he declared before the audience of the invited guests.
On the occasion, Ali Bongo also talked about the place of foreign partners of Gabon.
"In this century where all countries are coming together, Gabon must pursue all avenues of regional integration in Africa especially under the framework of CEMAC and CEEAC," he said.
"Beyond that, I am going to maintain our commitment to continental integration under the African Union where we play an active role," he added.
The new president assured that he will honor all Gabon's international commitments vis-a-vis those of its traditional partners.
"To all our foreign partners, I would wish to assure them of our commitment to develop constructive synergy in the framework of North-South and South-South cooperation. I invite all of them to come and share in the ambition of an economically emerging Gabon and to support our development process," he concluded.
Ali Bongo, 50, becomes the third elected president of Gabon after Leon Mba (1960-1967) and Omar Bongo Ondimba (1967-2009).
Just after the death of president Omar Bongo, the transition was carried out by the interim president, Rose Francine Rogombe.
Nesta sexta-feira Ali Bongo Ondimba assumiu a presidência do país africano, depois de vencer as eleições presidenciais de 30 de agosto. Ele fez o juramento de seu cargo no Palácio Presidencial de Libreville.



Num discurso, Bongo disse que queria pôr fim à injustiça e a corrupção. "Desejo um Gabão livre de corrupção e de injustiça, ... desejo um Gabão onde se aprecie o mérito, e onde o castigo da lei se aplique a quem a viole", disse ante uma multidão de convidados.

Bongo assumiu quatro dias depois de que uma corte constitucional do país confirmau sua vitória nas eleições presidenciais, as quais haviam sido quationadas por nove dos candidatos da oposição, alegando fraude.

Bongo venceu com 42% dos votos, segundo resultados oficiais. A maioria dos observadores eleitorais independentes disseram que pensavam que as eleições foram justas.

Bongo, de 50 anos, é filho de Omar Bongo, que foi o governante de Gabão desde 1967 até junho deste ano, quando faleceu.