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afrol.com, 30 October - The Equatorial Guinean Parliament has asked for the resignation of three ministers; Miguel Oyono, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture; Abía Biteo, Minister of Economy and Finance; and Fernando Mebale, Minister of Public Administration. The three members of the Executive were asked to step down by the Parliament on Friday, after President Obiang had asked for the resignation of Prime Minister Angel Serafin Seriche and "Teodorín", the first-born of the President, had asked for the resignation of the entire Government. Prime Minister Serafin Seriche was at a regional summit in Kinshasa when the Parliament asked for changes in his Government. The accusations against the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Oyono, are of embezzling 600 million Franc CFA and of selling agricultural machinery being property of INPAGE. Until a year ago, Oyono held the office of Equatorial Guinea's Foreign Minister. An important defender of dictator Obiang's policy, he was seen as the "anti-Spanish" in the Government, turning cooperation away from the former colonial power Spain towards France. For a long time, however, analysts also saw him as a possible successor to Obiang, being the Presidents "life-long personal friend". Oyono is from the village Kie-Ntem, not from Mongomo, where the majority of the ruling clan and Government origins. The accusations against Abía Biteo, Minister of Economy, are of embezzling 150 million Franc CFA, taking gasoline bonds for private use, paying travels abroad for his family members with public means and of employing unnecessary personnel in his Ministry. Abía Biteo is Bubi, from Basakato on the island of Bioko, where the strongest opposition to the ruling clan (mostly from the mainland Río Muni) is found. He participated, from the very start, in the important oil negotiations, and is said to "know all its secrets". Biteo studied in Russia and made his political career under the wings of former Minister of Mines, Oló. At the height of the detentions of Bubis in November 1998, where also key members of the PDGE ruling party were arrested, Abía Biteo saw serious accusations made against him. Thus, however, he managed to maintain his position. Mabale, Minister of Public Administration, is accused of embezzling public funds, of being responsible for the chaotic public administration and of receiving money for making employments. Equatorial Guinean TV showed pictures of a cheque from the Mayo Company in the name of Oyono, supposedly the payment for tractors that in fact were property of INPAGE. AFP informed, also on Friday, of the strong attacks by the MPs, themselves from the ruling party PDGE, on the ministers. There was no doubt, according to an analysis by the French press agency, that the accusations were well prepared, with the MPs getting access to secret and revealing documents, and based on a campaign "launched by the Head of State," President Obiang. This is also the interpretation of the Equatorial Guinean opposition, claiming that President Obiang is preparing the way for his first-born son "Teodorín" (holding the office of Minister of Water and Forests), which is becoming a clear candidate for the succession of the cancer diseased President. The sudden campaign against corruption is understood as a campaign against persons which might endanger Teodorín's bid for power. Earlier, the President reportedly has undertaken a purge in the military forces, getting rid of opponents to his controversial son. There have been many presages to the ongoing power struggle amidst of the Equatorial Guinea ruling clan. On 17 October, President Obiang asked his Prime Minister, Ángel Serafín Seriche Dougan, to step down. Last week, the official Equatorial Guinean broadcaster read an open letter from Teodorín to the Parliament, where he "strongly recommended" that the MPs asked for the resignation of all his colleagues of the Executive. The President's son stated that "the Members of Government [...] work for their private interest instead of worrying about the well-being of the people." He went on: "The Parliamentarians must use all means at their disposal to avoid that their worthy action is seen as an act of theatre." With this vote of no confidence against three ministers in the Equatorial Guinean Parliament, the power struggle is
taken a step further, still at the benefit of President Obiang and his son. Decisive will be if Prime Minister Seriche Dougan, which has returned from Kinshasa, will be able to maintain his post after the strong pressure from the President and Teodorín, or if he also will be forced to
resign. Sources: La Diáspora, ASODEGUE, AFP
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