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Gabon violence: Two killed amid protests over re-election of Ali Bongo wha



Two people have been killed in overnight clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Gabon's capital Libreville after disputed elections.
The deaths bring the number killed to five following a second day of violence.
Security forces in Gabon have arrested more than 1,000 people since the presidential vote.
Protests began after Wednesday's announcement that President Ali Bongo had narrowly been re-elected.
Africa Live: More on this and other African news stories

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Too many voters? By Elizabeth Blunt, former BBC journalist and election observer

You never get a 98% or 99% turnout in an honest election. You just don't.
Voting is compulsory in Gabon, but it is not enforced; even in Australia where it is enforced, where you can vote by post or online and can be fined for not voting, turnout only reaches 90-95%.
The main reason that a full turnout is practically impossible is that electoral registers, even if they are recently compiled, can rarely be 100% up-to-date.
Even if no-one gets sick or has to travel, people still die. And when a register is updated, new voters are keen to add themselves to the list.
No-one, however, has any great enthusiasm for removing the names of those who have died, and over time the number of these non-existent voters increases.
How to spot signs of possible election rigging

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The UN, which has expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of violence, joined the US and former colonial power France in calls for restraint and greater transparency about the election results.

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