The Gabonese Progress Party (French: Parti gabonais du progrès) is a political party in Gabon.
The PGP was established as a left-leaning party in March 1990, at the beginning of the wave of democratization that swept Africa in the early 1990s. Initially its key leaders were Pierre-Louis Agondjo Okawé, who was President, Marc Saturnin Nan Nguema, who was Vice-President, and Joseph Rendjambe, who was Secretary-General. Rendjambe died in unclear circumstances in May 1990, resulting in riots by angry opposition supporters in Port-Gentil and Libreville.
Agondjo Okawé was the PGP candidate in the December 1993 presidential election; he placed third amidst opposition allegations of fraud. President Omar Bongo received more votes than Agondjo Okawé even in the PGP stronghold on Port-Gentil, a fact that was noted skeptically by observers. Agondjo Okawé refused an invitation to join the government in late 1994, following talks between the government and the opposition. The PGP supported radical opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou in the December 1998 presidential election. Bongo again prevailed, and Mamboundou placed second according to official results.
In the parliamentary election held on 9 December 2001, the PGP won three out of 120 seats. In the December 2006 parliamentary election, it won only two out of 120 seats.
Agondjo-Okawé died on 27 August 2005.
Famous quotes containing the words progress and/or party:
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—Richard Cobden (1804–1865)
“Last night, party at Lansdowne-House. Tonight, party at Lady Charlotte Greville’s—deplorable waste of time, and something of temper. Nothing imparted—nothing acquired—talking without ideas—if any thing like thought in my mind, it was not on the subjects on which we were gabbling. Heigho!—and in this way half London pass what is called life.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)