Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...
on 15 December 2002. Incumbent
President
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*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
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*'' Præsident ...
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (; born 5 June 1942) is an Equatoguinean politician, former commissioned officer, military officer and dictator who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since 1982. Previously, he was the Chairm ...
easily won another term amidst an opposition boycott.
Boycotts
The four opposition candidates withdrew their candidacy on election day. The first opposition candidate to withdraw was Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) candidate
Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé
Celestino Bonifacio Bacalé Obiang (24 September 1957 – 2 March 2021) was an Equatoguinean politician. He was the Secretary of International Relations and Cooperation of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS)."'Landslide' in Equatorial Guinea" BBC News, 16 December 2002.Charles Cobb Jr. "Equatorial Guinea: Obiang Sure to Win As Opposition Quits Poll" allAfrica.com, December 16, 2002. He also said that some designated polling stations did not actually exist, while some polling stations that were not designated had suddenly appeared; he also alleged that secret ballot envelopes were being opened and checked by electoral officials. Furthermore, according to Bacalé, some individuals in charge of polling stations had been deprived of that responsibility due to their insistence on having a free and fair election, and he said that the CPDS would not recognize the results. Despite Bacalé's withdrawal, his name remained on the ballot.
Aside from Bacalé, the other three withdrawn candidates were Secundino Oyono of the Social Democratic and Popular Convergence (CSDP), Jeremiah Ondo of the
Popular Union Popular Union may refer to:
* Popular Union of Equatorial Guinea
* Union populaire française (France)
* Popular Union Party (Panama)
* Popular Union (Peru)
* Union populaire (Quebec)
* Popular Union for the Republic (Togo)
Other uses include:
*Dem ...
Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (, abbreviated PDGE) is the ruling political party in Equatorial Guinea. It was established by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on 11 October 1987.
Prior to 1991, the PDGE was the sole legal pol ...
(PDGE) said that voting occurred "in a normal and peaceful atmosphere", while Minister of the Interior Clemente Engonga denounced the withdrawal of the opposition candidates as "unlawful ... irresponsible and anti-democratic" and said that it was "proof of
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
bad faith and diabolical spirit". The opposition candidates demanded a new election "in the best conditions of freedom, legality and transparency".
One electoral observer, Ahmed Rajab, told the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
that he had not seen "any irregularities as such", although he emphasized that he did not know what had occurred prior to the election and said that there might have been "an element of fear" involved in the support for Obiang. He said that the government was embarrassed by the loss of credibility caused by the opposition withdrawal, which left Obiang as the winner of what was effectively a one-candidate election.
Results
Obiang received 97% of the votes, according to official results. Voter turnout was allegedly 98%. At least one voting district was recorded as giving Obiang 103% of the vote, a statistical impossibility without there having been electoral fraud.
Presidential Election
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Elections by country
Albania
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Chile
The p ...