Gabon: The Head of State – Brice Nguema banned Government officials from travelling abroad for holidays or vacations. The decision aims at ensuring that the officials get acquainted with the locals.
Nguema also restricted their vacations for one week at most. Expectations are there, that will only be made for health reasons.
Gabon’s interim president has seized power in a coup a year ago and has barred members of his transitional government for spending holidays abroad. Gen Oligui Nguema has also limited the government officials to a maximum of one week of holiday leave.
These new restrictions were announced on state television, after he conducted a tour within the country to listen to people’s concerns. There is a speculation that Gen Nguema may be softening the ground to run for president in next year’s election – the first since he seized power in the Central African state and the move is aiming the same.
Reportedly, he overthrew his cousin Ali Bongo, who became president in 2009 following the death of his father – Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled for 41 years.
Since Gen Nguema took the power, he has sought to reassure the public that his military government is acting in their best interest. However, he has not publicly commented on whether or not he will run for the country’s top job in the upcoming polls, planned for 2025.
As per the sources, news of the holiday restrictions comes days before the first anniversary of the coup, when the junta’s record will inevitably be scrutinised.
Nguema may be hoping to draw the favourable comparisons with the man he overthrew – Bongo, who was known to travel overseas regularly and whose whole family owned the multiple properties in France and the UK.
Yet General Nguema has himself said to own multiple properties in the US, and when asked about these in recent years he said that his private life should be respected more.
Notably, it is thought the new holiday restrictions will apply to Gen Nguema too. But no doubt, he will be entitled to go abroad for official purposes.
Details of the new holiday rules were read out on state television, with viewers told that the goal was to “immerse” government officials “in the realities and expectations of their compatriots”.
A spokesman for the interim government explained that “the measure aims to encourage a return to the roots and increased proximity with the local populations”, that are stipulating the exceptions and will only be made in cases of ‘force majeure’ – a legal term meaning extraordinary events that are out of parties control or on health grounds.
Additionally, Gabonese officials were not given the array of attractions in their home country, including stunning white sand beaches and some of the world’s best gorilla safaris in Loango National Park.