one day after President Omar Bongo was sworn in for another term. He was also named vice-president of the PDG in October 2006. Competing for the first seat in the 2nd and 6th Arrondissements of Libreville, Eyeghé Ndong and Mba Abessole faced each other again in the December 2006 parliamentary election. Thus Eyeghé Ndong, the Prime Minister, challenged Mba Abessole, who was Deputy Prime Minister. Eyeghé Ndong was victorious, winning 66.52% of the vote. Eyeghé Ndong submitted the resignation of his government to Bongo on January 19, 2007, observing a constitutional requirement that the government resign after the results of a parliamentary election were announced by the Constitutional Court. On January 24, Bongo asked Eyeghé Ndong to form a new government, and Eyeghé Ndong accepted; the composition of the new government was announced on January 25, with few changes. A new government under Eyeghé Ndong was named on December 28, 2007, with its size reduced from 50 to 41 ministers. In the April 2008 local elections, Eyeghé Ndong prevailed in the second arrondissement of Libreville, again defeating Mba Abessole. A new 44-member government headed by Eyeghé Ndong was appointed on October 7, 2008. 2009 events Following the death of President Bongo on June 8, 2009, Senate President Rose Francine Rogombé succeeded him on June 10 as interim President, in line with the constitution. Although the Constitutional Court ruled that the functions of Eyeghé Ndong's government ended upon Rogombé's swearing in, his government nevertheless remained in place for over a week during the period of Bongo's funeral and its preparations. After Bongo was buried on June 18, Eyeghé Ndong and his government resigned on June 19. Rogombé promptly reappointed Eyeghé Ndong at the head of a government virtually identical in composition to his previous government. It included 48 members; no members of the government were dismissed, although some ministers were moved to different portfolios. Eyeghé Ndong sought the PDG nomination for the early presidential election, but the PDG leadership instead selected Defense Minister Ali-Ben Bongo (Omar Bongo's son) as the party's presidential candidate. He then resigned as Prime Minister on 17 July 2009 and announced he was running as an independent candidate; Rogombé appointed Paul Biyoghé Mba to succeed him on the same day. Eyeghe Ndong said that he made his decision because there had not truly been a consensus in favor of Bongo, and that therefore the proper internal party