Libreville, Friday January 26, 2024 (Infos Gabon) – In an exclusive interview granted to Radio France Internationale (RFI), the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Planning and Foresight and president of the Rally for the Fatherland and Modernity (RPM) discusses the reasons for his entry into the Transitional government , the objectives pursued by the ministerial department for which he is now responsible, but above all its political future. This entire interview.
RFI: You were on the sidelines since the start of the transition, what convinced you to finally integrate it ?
Alexandre Barro Chambrier
: I was able to see the importance of the achievements. We were already involved at the parliamentary level. This is the logical next step. We are in government to provide our expertise. The direction given by the president is going in the right direction. We are making up for lost time. Obviously, it takes time, we have 20 months to achieve the objectives that have been assigned.
Was it the fact of obtaining a very high position in the hierarchy that made you make this decision?
No. You know, I have already had the privilege of serving the country. The question that arises is whether we will be able to contribute to putting Gabon back in working order.
Why do you agree to enter into the transition, when soon there will be a national dialogue? Aren’t you afraid of losing your freedom of tone in dialogue and of not being able to influence it?
I am a free man, attached to freedom of thought. What guides me is preceded by the need to provide solutions to our country.
You inherit the Ministry of Planning, dissolved under Ali Bongo, whereas in the past, it was a pillar ministry. All major projects were imagined, if not validated by planning. Today, is this how you imagine this ministry?
Yes, this ministry must regain the place it should never have lost, that of having the medium and long term vision of the country, of breaking with improvisation and of completing the system of good governance. It is a key ministry for creating the conditions for the return of private investment and a dynamic of growth.
Regarding your political future, the transition charter says that members of the government cannot run. By entering, are you putting an end to your presidential ambitions?
It is more important for me to concentrate on the assigned task. We will go to the national dialogue. We’ll see when these questions arise.
In September 2023, you said on RFI that the transition charter needed to be modified, particularly regarding future presidential candidates, since ministers, senators, deputies, in theory, cannot stand as candidates. Do you maintain this need for modification?
No, I never talked about that. The transition charter was designed as it was designed. In terms of dialogue, we will see what the scope of this dialogue will be. I am a clear person, I never talked about changing the charter. It’s another interlocutor.
Now you are in government, will you give up the presidency of your party?
It is obvious that I must concentrate on my task, but you can imagine that I will not be very far away.
The Head of State and the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) have launched a very large number of reforms. This is not a classic transition situation where power would mainly focus on preparing for elections. Here, we are in the process of in-depth reforms, does that seem like a good choice to you?
We cannot let the country rot. We wasted a lot of time dividing ourselves. We must be pragmatic and provide solutions to people’s expectations.
Today, President Oligui Nguema’s personality is everywhere: there are billboards in the streets, public media sing his praises, senior officials have even described him as a Messiah. Don’t you fear that we’re falling a bit into a cult of personality?
We have come so far… It is the free expression of the populations. It is likely that we will return to normal, but there is new hope. We do not have the culture of deification, it is a mutual respect which animates us, towards the president and our soldiers who had the courage to put an end to a more bearable situation and the page is tour, we move on.
Precisely, these soldiers, at the end of the transition, will you ask them to return to their barracks and hand over power?
Okay, look, we still have 20 months. When the time comes, we will appreciate it. The time that remains must be used for tangible achievements and strong decisions. All this will be discussed as part of the dialogue. From there, we’ll see more clearly.
FIN/INFOSGABON/SM/2024
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