The Gabonese Interior Ministry has officially recognized the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development (UGDD), an opposition party whose leader took the third place in last year's presidential election, Gabonese News Agency reported Saturday.

The UGDD was founded on April 30, 2005 by Zacharie Myboto, President Omar Bongo Ondimba's former ally who quit the ruling party in 2001 after 23 years' service in the government.

Several months before the presidential election in November 2005, the Gabonese Interior Ministry said it did not recognize the founding of UGDD for some flaws related to the formality it was supposed to go through.

As a result, Myboto had to took part in the presidential elections as an independent candidate rather than a party leader.

The election results turned out that Myboto took the third place with 6 percent of the votes, while Ondimba got a new presidential term with 79.18 percent of the votes.

Source: Xinhua