Gabon parliament set ablaze after Bongo declared winner

Libreville, Aug 31 (AFP) Angry protesters torched Gabon’sparliament today after President Ali Bongo was declared winnerof what he claimed was a "peaceful and transparent" election,but which the opposition said was fraudulent. It only took a few minutes for the announcement to sink inbefore several of Libreville’s poorer neighbourhoods eruptedin anger, with thousands of people taking to the streets toexpress their fury. According to official results made public shortly after1500 GMT, Bongo won Saturday’s presidential poll by just 5,594votes, taking 49.80 per cent to 48.23 per cent for his rivalJean Ping, a veteran diplomat and former top African Unionofficial. The results will remain "provisional" until they areapproved by the constitutional court. By nightfall, protesters vented their fury by setting fireto the parliament building, sending skyward a plume of flameand black smoke, witnesses and AFP correspondents said. Fires were visible in other parts of Libreville andexplosions were heard as protesters faced off against heavilyarmed security forces. "The whole building is catching fire," a man outsideparliament who gave name as Yannick told AFP. The parliament lies on the same road as the state TVheadquarters, senate, town hall, oil ministry, severalembassies and the French cultural centre. As soon as Bongo’s victory in today’s poll was announcedWednesday, people took to the streets of the city’s slums,chanting "Ali must go." As helicopters flew overhead and smoke rose above poorerneighbourhoods, soldiers, police and gendarmes stopped trafficon the main highway where protestors braved tear gas to settyres alight. Protestors shouted, "Jean Ping president!" and "They stolethe election." Ping, a half Chinese career diplomat has rejected theresults, and before they were announced had declared it was hewho won. There was also trouble today in the economic capital PortGentil, which saw the worst of the violence that followedBongo’s 2009 election victory. That contested vote followed the death of Bongo’s father,Omar Bongo, who ruled the oil-rich country for 41 years. Any appeal by Ping would likely focus on disputed resultsin one of the country’s nine provinces – the Haut-Ogooue, theheartland of Bongo’s Teke ethnic group. (AFP)ABH