Presidential elections were held in Gabon on 27 November 2005. Incumbent President Omar Bongo, in power since 1967 (making him Africa's longest-serving ruler), sought another seven-year term against four other candidates. According to an announcement of results by the country's interior minister, the result was a victory for Bongo, who received 79.2% of the vote. Bongo was sworn in for another seven-year term on 19 January 2006. Background On 6 October 2005, Gilbert Ngoulakia, the President of the National Electoral Commission, announced that the elections would be held on 27 November, with security forces voting two days earlier on 25 November. Opposition leader Zacharie Myboto denounced this as "additional proof of laws being fiddled to keep the ruling regime in power", arguing that having the soldiers vote on a different day would facilitate vote rigging and that it might be possible for them to vote a second time on 27 November. The decision to have soldiers vote on a different day was officially attributed to the need to have them available to keep the peace when the general population voted. Electoral system Well in advance of the elections, Parliament voted to remove term limits on the Presidency, which would have prohibited Bongo from running again; it also voted to hold presidential elections on a first-past-the-post basis, with no second round in the event that the leading candidate fell short of a majority. The electoral code was changed by Parliament in late June 2005. Campaign On 6 October, Ngoulakia said that campaigning would begin at midnight on 13 October, 30 hours after the deadline for candidacies. The campaigning period was to end on 26 November. Protesting the composition of the 120-member National Electoral Commission, the opposition initially refused to participate in it, but following negotiations the opposition was granted 40 seats on the Commission on 7 October and ended its boycott. Five candidates registered to contest the elections. Bongo announced his candidacy before a crowd of thousands in Libreville on 1 October 2005. He made a series of gestures to alleviate poverty, such as saying that 100,000 households would be provided free water and electricity for one month, and money was frequently distributed at his campaign rallies. Critics argued that Bongo was simply buying votes. Gabonese Progress Party (PGP) leader Pierre-Louis Agondjo Okawé announced on 4 March 2005 that he would not be a candidate. This decision was attributed to old