2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
The police earlier apologised to journalists reporting the 1 April protests at the Bank of England: "Section 14 was applied outside the Bank of England to disperse protesters. There may have been some photographers caught up in that. If so we apologise. We respect the right of photographers to cover current events."


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, expressed "concern that the video footage of some police actions are clearly disturbing and should be thoroughly investigated", and a need to be reassured that the use of the containment, or kettling tactic "remains appropriate and proportionate". Denis O'Connor has said that some police behaviour "fell short of the police medal promise to "guard my people"." Others have defended the policing of the protests. Sir Ken Jones, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers, has criticised the lack of objectivity which he perceives has been shown by the media.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
Jones went onto question the views put forward by Nick Hardwick, the Chair of the IPCC. Jones also stated that he "can't think of any other country that doesn't use water cannons, CS gas, rubber bullets". The Police Federation has also criticised the IPCC, making a formal complaint about the "deplorable behaviour" of Nick Hardwick, Chairman of the IPCC, for passing "lofty and withering judgment on London's police officers".


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Response to police tactics
Home Office Minister Lord West said in the House of Lords that "thousands of officers acted absolutely professionally and proportionately, thousands were actually able to demonstrate peacefully on our streets, criminal activity in the rest of the metropolis was kept to an absolute minimum and the police also maintained high levels of security. And I think we should be extremely proud of them. This does not excuse acts which are criminal and there are now investigations taking place for those particulars." The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has defended the police, and said that "I worry that there are large sections of the media that are currently engaged in a very unbalanced orgy of cop bashing".


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Nicola Fisher video
On 14 April, media outlets published video taken during a vigil for Ian Tomlinson on 2 April outside the Bank of England, near to where he died. A sergeant with the Territorial Support Group is seen slapping a woman who was arguing with him, Nicola Fisher, across the face, then striking her legs with his baton. The officer's identification number was concealed. The IPCC said it would investigate, and the officer was suspended.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Nicola Fisher video
Sir Paul Stephenson said that uniformed officers should always display their shoulder identification numbers, as "The public has a right to be able to identify any uniformed officer whilst performing their duty." In September 2009, the officer was named as Sgt Delroy 'Tony' Smellie, and the CPS announced that it would charge him with assault. The court case against Delroy Smellie commenced in March 2010 and he has been found not guilty.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Nicola Fisher video
Another demonstrator, Katie Surridge, has alleged that she was pushed to the ground from behind on 1 April by the same officer who later struck Nicola Fisher. That incident has also been reported to the IPCC. IPCC have announced that there is no case to answer.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Review of the policing of public events
On 15 April 2009, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson asked the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to review policing tactics in the policing of public events. Denis O'Connor will review the policing of public events following allegations of two assaults by police during the G20 protests in London on 1 April. He will also assess whether the tactic of containment or kettling is appropriate and proportionate to ensuring people have the right to protest.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Review of the policing of public events
He said the event was a "complex policing operation", and that footage of clashes with police will be reviewed to check if other incidents need to be examined. Sir Paul stressed that all uniformed officers must wear shoulder identification numbers to be easily identifiable by the public. Among the tactics being reviewed is the crowd-control tactic known as the “kettle”, used to pen in protesters. Bob Broadhurst, the commanding officer during the protests, blamed any misconduct of officers on the lack of training they receive in crowd control and on fear. He revealed during a Commons Home Affairs Committee that officers only receive 2 days of training a year.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Review of the policing of public events
On Tuesday 25 January 2011, Broadhurst apologised to the home affairs select committee for telling then in May 2009 that no plain-clothes officers were present at the demonstrations; He admitted that numerous City of London police officers had been present at the demonstration, along with more than one Met officer, including PC Mark Kennedy.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Policing, Review of the policing of public events
On 14 April 2011 the high court has ruled that the Metropolitan police broke the law in the way they "kettled" protesters at the G20 demonstrations in 2009, and also criticised the use of force by officers.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Death of Ian Tomlinson
Ian Tomlinson, a newspaper vendor in the City of London, died within a police cordon of the G20 Meltdown protest near the Bank of England. Initially the City of London Police denied that any incident with the police had occurred, and the death was attributed to natural causes. Days later, The Guardian published video showing Tomlinson had been pushed by a Metropolitan Police Service officer and hit with a baton minutes before he collapsed and died.


2009 G20 London summit protests, Death of Ian Tomlinson
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) subsequently ordered a second post mortem and set up an independent criminal inquiry to determine whether Tomlinson was assaulted by police, and whether that assault contributed to his death. The results of this second post mortem have revealed that Tomlinson actually died from an abdominal haemorrhage. A police officer was questioned under caution about Tomlinson's death.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
The 2009 G20 Pittsburgh Summit was the third meeting of the G20 heads of state/heads of government to discuss financial markets and the world economy.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
The G20 is the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economic cooperation.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
The summit was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States on September 24–25, 2009. Announced shortly after the April 2009 G20 London summit, U.S. President Barack Obama volunteered to host this summit, initially planning to hold it in New York City and coordinating it with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
However, due to coordination issues, on May 28, 2009, the Obama Administration announced a change of venue to Pittsburgh in order to highlight the city's economic recovery following the collapse of its manufacturing sector in the latter half of the 20th century. In response to the Global credit crisis, a G20 summit in one year was proposed shortly after the London summit in April 2009.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
Amongst the issues discussed was a proposal to radically reform the International Monetary Fund (IMF). French President Nicolas Sarkozy also suggested that there would be an evaluation of measures already taken.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit
The primary venue of the summit was the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which was at one point the largest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified building in the world. A working dinner for world leaders was held at the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, chosen to highlight its environmentally friendly features including an earth-sheltered welcome center and a Tropical Forest Conservatory described as the world’s most energy efficient. Other venues used around the city include The Andy Warhol Museum, the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Rosemont, the working farm of Teresa Heinz Kerry.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Preparations
In the weeks leading up to the conference, many measures were taken to prepare Pittsburgh for the conference. Many streets in Downtown Pittsburgh were re-paved and a pre-season National Hockey League hockey game for the Pittsburgh Penguins at nearby Mellon Arena was rescheduled. During the week of the G20, many streets were closed, and traffic patterns were adjusted. Many public schools, universities and nearby businesses were closed, canceling classes or working remotely for the duration of the conference. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also attempted to alleviate problems by meeting beforehand with some of the groups expected to protest during the event.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Preparations, Security
Thousands of protesters were expected during the week of the Summit, which was classified as a National Special Security Event. Security was coordinated by the United States Secret Service, working in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Police. It is estimated that 4,000 police officers were requested, and the city only had 900 police officers at the time of the event. The Pennsylvania State Police committed more than 1,000 officers for the downtown event, including SWAT, helicopter, mounted, undercover, bicycle and motorcycle officers.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Preparations, Security
Allegheny County had 75 officers specifically trained by and embedded into the Pittsburgh Police Bureau for the event since June. New York City and Baltimore also committed some officers, as well as Pittsburgh suburbs. Some officers from Chicago traveled to assist, taking vacation days from their department. All officers, regardless of department, were under the command of the Secret Service for the event days.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Preparations, Security
Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters, armored Humvees and crews of U.S. Army soldiers, as well as 10 25-foot boats with M240 machine guns from the Coast Guard, were on hand in the event of large-scale violent protests or a terrorist attack.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Attendance
G20 leaders began gathering in Pittsburgh on September 24, 2009. On the evening of September 24, the leaders attended a reception at Phipps Conservatory in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Attendance
The Summit proper began on the morning of September 25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Attendance, Core participants
The following participants of the Pittsburgh summit represented the core members of the G20, which includes 19 countries and the European Union which is represented by its two governing bodies, the European Council and the European Commission.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
After numerous denials of permits for groups such as Code Pink and Three Rivers Climate Convergence to assemble peaceful demonstrations, the ACLU of Pennsylvania successfully sued to force the city of Pittsburgh to allow demonstrations around the G20 Summit.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
Participants in the protests surrounding the summit included peace, environmental, labor and social justice organizations.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
The first of the alternate events was a Peoples' Summit, involving an all-day session of speakers, panels and workshops on September 19, the Saturday before the G20 Summit, drawing about 500 participants, and continuing on Monday and Tuesday evenings, each drawing between 100 and 200. The Peoples' Summit included outright opponents of the G20 (such as radical historian Howard Zinn, who addressed the gathering via special video) as well as some who hoped to influence it in what they considered to be "progressive" directions.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
The Pittsburgh City Council proclaimed "that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend the Peoples’ Summit, all associated institutions and organizations, and the citizen volunteers who worked tirelessly to make it a success. Their outstanding efforts are certain to create a greater understanding about the challenges we face, the solutions we should explore and the social dialogue that is necessary for the realization of a better world. Furthermore, the citizens of our region are encouraged to seize the opportunity to participate in this significant and historic event."


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
The Peoples’ Summit itself advanced some of the themes that surfaced in protests when the G20 Summit actually met: "We envision a world in which basic rights—freedom of expression, freedom of thought and religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want—are enjoyed by all people. This is not the reality of our world today. Yet, in our diversity and plurality of orientations, inspired by mutual respect and the spirit of solidarity, we share the conviction that another world is possible."


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
This was followed by a number of tent cities, demonstrations and other summits. There was also an alternative conference on Tuesday called the Freedom Conference 2009, stressing conservative grassroots solutions and free-market approaches.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
At around 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, September 23, Greenpeace activists hung a banner, warning of the dangers of increased CO2 emissions, from the deck of the West End Bridge facing downtown Pittsburgh over the Ohio River. While traffic was held up for a period, all eight activists were placed under arrest after surrendering peacefully.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
On Thursday, September 24, the Pittsburgh G20 Resistance Project held a march and a day of direct action at Arsenal Park in the city's Lawrenceville neighborhood. Police fired pepper spray at a crowd of an estimated 500 demonstrators to disperse a protest march a few hours before the start of the Summit.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
Police also used a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) to remove protesters from an area after warning them several times to disperse. This was believed by city officials to be the first time that an LRAD had been used to disperse protesters within the United States. Since then, LRADs have been used to peacefully disperse crowds on several occasions.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
Later in the evening, another small crowd gathered in Schenley Plaza, as world leaders met that evening at the Phipps Conservatory nearby for a working dinner. Hundreds of police swarmed and encircled the peaceful crowd, which spilled over onto Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard near the Cathedral of Learning. An estimated 300 riot police lined the sidewalk behind the William Pitt Union, with 200 more officers blocking Forbes Avenue nearby to contain the protesters. However, the crowd quickly grew to about 500 as nearby University of Pittsburgh students—evident by shouts of "Let's Go Pitt!"


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
heard—curious about the sirens and police presence, joined the crowd. Police shot several rounds of pepper spray into the crowd. Nearby businesses along Forbes Avenue and Craig Street were also vandalized after the police attempted to break up the demonstration. The University of Pittsburgh alerted students via text message that, "Conditions may be deteriorating in Oakland. Students are advised to remain near their residences."


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
The Pittsburgh G20 Resistance Project called for "Everywhere Protests" at various locations and businesses (mostly banks and large corporations) throughout the city Friday morning (September 25). These were not very large scale protests. Some protesters wore black and twirled hula hoops at Forbes Avenue and Atwood Street in the Oakland neighborhood. There was also a small gathering of protesters at a Starbucks Coffee on Centre Avenue in the city's East Liberty neighborhood as well.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
Yet Friday also saw massive actions involving a broad coalition headed by the pacifist-oriented Thomas Merton Center. As one speaker emphasized at the action’s start, said, "I remind you, this is a peaceful, permitted march. We're confronting G20 policies, not police." This "Peoples' March" (linked in the minds of many with issues raised in the earlier Peoples' Summit) was punctuated by three rallies (following the route of the march, in Oakland, in downtown Pittsburgh on the steps of City Hall, and on Pittsburgh's North Side), with an estimated 5000 to 8000 participants.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
The demonstration was quite diverse, including religious and community activists, anarchists, socialists, environmentalists, human rights advocates, opponents of war, trade unionists, veterans, and others. The mood of the action tended to be uncompromisingly critical of the G20, of big corporations, and of capitalism as such. “We’re rallying here just a few miles from where the corporate robber barons have settled down to divide up the planet, that group of bankers, financiers and political leaders who have wreaked havoc upon our world,” proclaimed one of the speakers, urging listeners to “fight for another world, put people before profits.” The crowd roared with approval, and others spoke in a similar vein, but the assembly was completely free from violence and arrests.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
Much of the news media tended to minimize peaceful protests, however, and gave greater attention to arrests. These included controversial police actions of Friday evening, after the G20 Summit and the organized protests had ended. Taking place in Schenley Plaza and at the nearby University of Pittsburgh campus, they involved more sweeping arrests, and more charges of police violence, than had been the case the night before.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
According to police accounts, about 4,500 people participated in protests throughout the city, with 190 arrests being made. Approximately $50,000 worth of damage was caused to area businesses, with $15,000 worth being attributed to one individual, David Japenga of California, accused of breaking 20 windows and doors in Oakland on Thursday night.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests
New York City activist Elliott "Smokey" Madison used Twitter to report an order to disperse message from the Pittsburgh police during the protests. Police raided Madison's hotel room, and one week later Madison's New York home, , was raided by FBI agents. Police claim Madison and a co-defendant used computers and a radio scanner to track police movements and then passed on that information to protesters using cell phones and the social networking site Twitter. Madison was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, criminal use of a communication facility, and possession of instruments of crime. All protesters that were arrested were processed and held at the State Correctional Institution - Pittsburgh.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Protests, Response
Dozens of University of Pittsburgh students who say they were wrongfully arrested and subjected to heavy-handed police tactics during the G20 meeting called for an investigation into the police actions.


2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit, Outcome
One of the first major announcements to come out of the meeting was that the group will become the new permanent council for international economic cooperation. This means that the much larger G20 meeting will essentially replace the smaller G8, which will continue to meet on major security issues but will carry reduced influence. This decision will help to include major developing nations – such as China, India and Brazil – which were originally not included in the G8.


2009 GCC U-17 Championship
The 2009 GCC U-17 Championship took place in the UAE between September 5, 2009 and September 14, 2009. Six nations have entered the tournament, two more than the previous tournament held in Saudi Arabia.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix
The 2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 15th edition of the Budapest Grand Prix, an International-level tournament on the 2009 WTA Tour. It took place in Budapest, Hungary, from 4 July until 12 July 2009. Ágnes Szávay won the singles title.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix, Entrants, Seeds
* Seedings are based on the rankings of June 22, 2009.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix, Entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix, Finals, Doubles
Alisa Kleybanova /  Monica Niculescu defeated  Alona Bondarenko /  Kateryna Bondarenko, 6–4, 7–6(7–5)


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix – Doubles
Alizé Cornet and Janette Husárová were the defending champions, but Husárová chose not to participate this year. Cornet partnered with Eleni Daniilidou, but lost in the first round to Sharon Fichman and Katalin Marosi.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix – Doubles
Alisa Kleybanova and Monica Niculescu won in the final 6–4, 7–6(7–5) against Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix – Singles
Alizé Cornet was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Shahar Pe'er.


2009 GDF Suez Grand Prix – Singles
Ágnes Szávay won in the final 2–6, 6–4, 6–2 against Patty Schnyder.


2009 GEMAX Open
The 2009 GEMAX Open was a professional tennis tournament played on carpet courts. It was part of the Tretorn SERIE+ of the 2009 ATP Challenger Tour. It took place in Belgrade, Serbia between 16 and 22 February 2009.


2009 GEMAX Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 GEMAX Open, Champions, Men's Doubles
Michael Kohlmann /  Philipp Marx def. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi /  Lovro Zovko, 3–6, 6–2, 10–8


2009 GEMAX Open – Doubles
Flavio Cipolla and Konstantinos Economidis were the defending champions; however, they chose to not defend their 2008 title. Michael Kohlmann and Philipp Marx won in the final 3–6, 6–2, 10–8, against Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Lovro Zovko.


2009 GEMAX Open – Singles
Roko Karanušić was the defending champion, but he chose to not participate this year. Viktor Troicki won in the final 6–4, 6–2, against Dominik Hrbatý.


2009 GMAC Bowl
The 2009 GMAC Bowl was the tenth anniversary edition of the GMAC Bowl, an American college football bowl game. The contest was played on January 6, 2009, as part of the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, and featured the Tulsa Golden Hurricane playing the Ball State Cardinals.


2009 GMAC Bowl
The game, which was played in a second-half driving rainstorm, was won by Tulsa, 45–13. This was Tulsa's second consecutive GMAC Bowl victory, having defeated Bowling Green in the 2008 GMAC Bowl.


2009 GP Miguel Induráin
The 2009 GP Miguel Induráin was the 56th edition of the GP Miguel Induráin cycle race and was held on 4 April 2009. The race started and finished in Estella. The race was won by David de la Fuente.


2009 GP Ouest–France
The 2009 GP Ouest-France was a one-day road race which took place on 23 August 2009 in Plouay, France. The race was held over 229 kilometres (142 mi), which is 12 laps of a circuit. 2009 was the fifth time that the race has been part of the UCI ProTour, but the race can be dated back to 1931 at its present location. The race was won by the Australian Simon Gerrans, his first victory in a major one-day race. Frenchman Pierrick Fédrigo came in second, with Paul Martens of Germany coming in third. Gerrans won a sprint from a five-man breakaway group which also included Anthony Roux of France and Dan Martin of Ireland.


2009 GP2 Series
The 2009 GP2 Series season was the forty-third season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also fifth season under the GP2 Series moniker. The season consisted of twenty races at ten rounds, beginning on 9 May at the Circuit de Catalunya and finishing on 20 September at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Algarve circuit hosted its first GP2 weekend, and was the only new circuit on the calendar. The Nürburgring also returned as part of its rotation with Hockenheim as the home of the German Grand Prix.


2009 GP2 Series
The title was won by German rookie Nico Hülkenberg at the penultimate round of the championship at Monza, the first time the series had been won before the final round. His team ART Grand Prix claimed the teams title in the Algarve.


2009 GP2 Series
Barwa Addax's title contender Romain Grosjean left the series mid-season to join the Renault for the remainder of the Formula One season following Nelson Piquet Jr.'s sacking.


2009 GP2 Series
Champion Hülkenberg, runner-up Petrov and 3rd place Lucas di Grassi all drove in the 2010 Formula One season for Williams, Renault and new team Virgin Racing respectively. 16th place Kamui Kobayashi took part in the final two races of the 2009 Formula One season for Toyota following Timo Glock's injury in the Japanese Grand Prix while 18th place Karun Chandhok joined new Formula One team HRT in 2010.


2009 GP2 Series, 2009 Schedule
The 2009 calendar was announced on 16 December 2008. The final round of the championship will be the first GP2 race to take place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Also, the German Grand Prix was moved from Hockenheim to the Nürburgring.


2009 GP2 Series, Championship standings
Points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 6 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race will also receive two points, and one point is given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points are awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.


2009 GT4 European Cup
The 2009 GT4 European Cup season was the third season of the GT4 European Cup. It began on May 3 at Silverstone, before finishing on September 13 at Portimao after twelve races.


2009 Gabonese Eurocopter AS 532 crash
The 2009 Gabonese helicopter crash occurred in the Atlantic Ocean off Gabon at 8:08 p.m. on January 17, 2009. Ten soldiers were in the Eurocopter AS 532 when it crashed, leaving eight military personnel dead. Three soldiers initially survived the French military helicopter crash which occurred shortly after take-off from the amphibious assault ship FS Foudre. One of the rescued soldiers died from injuries at Libreville Hospital. The helicopter came down off the coastal city of Nyonie between Port-Gentil and Libreville during a joint exercise with Gabonese troops. The cause of the crash is  not known.


2009 Gabonese Eurocopter AS 532 crash
French President Nicolas Sarkozy immediately ordered his Minister of Defence, Hervé Morin, to fly to Gabon to oversee the rescue mission. Morin visited friends and relatives of the missing at Camp De Gaulle.


2009 Gabonese Eurocopter AS 532 crash
After the crash, FS Foudre was the first ship at the scene, and picked up some of the injured. Two helicopters, several ships, as well as underwater robots were sent by the French oil company Total S.A. to assist with rescue efforts. On January 18, the wreckage of the helicopter was discovered 35 metres (115 ft) underwater. Gabon Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame said, "Gabon is doing all that it can to help with the search."


2009 Gabonese Eurocopter AS 532 crash, French presence in Gabon
France has maintained a military base in Gabon since its independence in 1960. The French military regularly conducts military exercises with the Gabonese army. French presence is known to have reduced tensions among various groups that operate in the three small islands of Gabon. These islands are rich in oil reserves found in surrounding off-shore waters. Islands are claimed by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.


2009 Gabonese presidential election
Early presidential elections were held in Gabon on 30 August 2009. They took place due to the death of incumbent President Omar Bongo on 8 June, after more than 41 years as the sole president of Gabon. While the constitution stated that interim President Rose Francine Rogombé should organise elections within 30 to 45 days, the Constitutional Court accepted the government's request for a delay due to the circumstances.


2009 Gabonese presidential election
A total of 23 candidates were approved to contest the elections, although six of them withdrew immediately before election day, reducing the field to 17 candidates. Despite the large number of candidates, three of them were considered the key contenders for the Presidency; Ali Bongo Ondimba, the son of Omar Bongo, who was the candidate of the long-ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG); Pierre Mamboundou, a radical opposition leader who was backed by a coalition of parties; and André Mba Obame, a former PDG member who ran as an independent and won the backing of several other candidates.


2009 Gabonese presidential election
According to official results announced on 3 September 2009, Bongo won the elections with a plurality of 41.7% of the vote, while Mba Obame and Mamboundou both trailed with about 25% each. Opposition supporters reacted violently to the results.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
In the aftermath of Omar Bongo's death, reports suggested that, due to the need to update the voters' roll, the elections might not be held within the 45-day period. Rogombé said on 20 June that preparations for the elections would involve a "broad consultation with the active forces of the nation" and that her decisions would be made "under the triple seal of the constitution, consultations and consensus". In an interview on 22 June, Prime Minister Jean Eyeghé Ndong appeared to confirm this speculation, saying that "it seems certain that it will take us more than 45 days".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Under the constitution, a delay beyond 45 days is legally permissible in a case of force majeure. Eyeghé Ndong also said in the same interview that he would consider standing as a presidential candidate if he felt he had the necessary support. The news agency Agence France-Presse reported that sources variously expected that elections could be held in September 2009, in the last quarter of 2009, or as late as 2010.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Rogombé held talks regarding the organization of the elections with leaders of the Presidential Majority coalition on 23 June, and then with opposition party leaders on 24 June. One of the key opposition leaders, Zacharie Myboto of the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development (UGDD), said that he thought it was "physically impossible" to hold the elections within the constitutional 45-day timeframe and spoke of instead holding elections in five to six months. Also on 23 June, opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou alleged that a coup was being prepared and denounced it. The Defense Ministry denied the existence of coup plot, and some suspected Mamboundou made the allegation in hopes of encouraging a delay in the elections.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
On 6 July, the government requested that the Constitutional Court delay the elections beyond the 45-day deadline, although it did not specify how long of a delay it wanted. The Court, observing that time had been needed to organize Bongo's funeral in June, ruled on 8 July that a delay was acceptable due to force majeure, but it said that the elections should still be held no later than 6 September.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
UGDD President Myboto said in mid-July that he felt that the Constitutional Court's decision to allow a 45-day extension still did not allow enough time, but he also called for UGDD militants to register to vote.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
It was reported on 15 July that the Autonomous and Permanent National Electoral Commission (CENAP) had proposed to the government that the elections be held on 30 August; candidates would submit their nominations from 17 July to 22 July, and campaigning would begin on 15 August. The government officially adopted those dates on 16 July.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
After Eyeghé Ndong's resignation on 17 July, Rogombé promptly appointed Paul Biyoghé Mba, a PDG member who had been the Minister of Agriculture, as Prime Minister later on the same day.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
The composition of Biyoghé Mba's government was announced on the evening of 22 July. It was composed of 44 members, slightly smaller than the previous government under Eyeghé Ndong. Six ministers were dismissed, including two party leaders (Mba Abessole and Pierre-André Kombila) and three presidential candidates (Mba Abessole, Oyé Mba, and Mba Obame). Kombila had chosen to support Mamboundou's candidacy. Two presidential candidates, Ali-Ben Bongo and Pierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou, were retained in their posts.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Laure Olga Gondjout, the Minister of Communication, defended the inclusion of two presidential candidates in the government, saying that there was no law against it. She said that Maganga Moussavou had been retained in the government as Minister of Technical Education because it was important for him to continue his work in the education sector while student exams took place. Mba Abessole criticized the two candidates' inclusion and called for them to leave the government.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
The UGDD expressed a similar sentiment, stating on 24 July that the inclusion of Bongo and Maganga Moussavou "calls into question the equal treatment of candidates and impartiality expected of the State during the election campaign". RNB President Kombila said that Biyoghé Mba was in office merely "to organize the victory of a candidate" and that he should resign along with his government; he also said that Rogombé should meet with the political class to discuss setting up a different structure to organize the elections.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
On 27 July, eight candidates—Jules-Aristide Bourdes-Ogouliguende (the Congress for Democracy and Justice candidate), Mamboundou, Mba Abessole, Luc Bengono Nsi (the Movement for National Rectification candidate), Eyeghé Ndong, Mba Obame, Oyé Mba, and Anna Claudine Ayo Assayi—jointly called for the resignation of Bongo and Maganga Moussavou from the government. Bourdes-Ogouliguende, describing the situation as unacceptable, expressed particular concern about the power Bongo wielded as Minister of Defense, worrying that he could use that power to influence the outcome of the elections. PDG Secretary-General Boukoubi, echoing Gondjout's earlier statement, said on 29 July that the demands for the resignation of the two ministers were not based on any "legal premise".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Following the criticism, Maganga Moussavou said that he would resign from the government on 14 August, one day before the beginning of campaigning; he asked Bongo to do the same, concerned that Bongo's failure to do so could make opposition claims that he intended to use his post to give himself an advantage appear more credible. The Patriotic United Forces (FPU), an opposition group, announced on 29 July 2009 that it was supporting Oyé-Mba's candidacy. It described him as a "man of integrity, peace, and experience" and "the true candidate of consensus".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
At its Fourth Extraordinary Congress, ADERE declined to endorse any candidate, with ADERE President Divungi Di Ndinge calling on party activists to vote according to their conscience at the conclusion of the congress on 2 August 2009. Also on 2 August, Eyeghé Ndong denied claims that he resigned to stand as an independent candidate because he was a "sore loser"; he said that in fact he did so "because it was time that I listened to my conscience".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Maganga Moussavou announced his resignation from the government on 6 August 2009.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
On 7 August, violent demonstrations shook Libreville as protesters demanded that Bongo resign from the government; Gabonese authorities had previously banned the march, in which about 10,000 protesters reportedly participated. Protesters threw stones at police and police used tear gas against the protesters. Many presidential candidates were reportedly present at the march: Mamboundou, Mba Abessole, Myboto, Bourdes-Ogouliguende, Oyé Mba, Bengono Asi, Ayo Assayi, and Bruno Ben Moubamba.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Various candidates met with Interim President Rogombé in Libreville on 12 August to discuss issues related to the electoral process; Prime Minister Biyoghé Mba was also present at the meeting. At the meeting, candidates complained about problems in the electoral process, including the possibility that the electoral lists were unreliable. 11 candidates announced after the meeting that they wanted the elections to be delayed and would take the matter to the courts; according to one of the candidates, Bourdes-Ogouliguende, "in the current climate, the irregularities and disparities are too flagrant."


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
Biyoghé Mba said that a delay was not necessary and that the electoral lists were being properly scrutinized; according to Biyoghé Mba, 120,000 duplicate names had been detected on the electoral lists by that point. Also on 12 August, Biyoghé Mba reiterated that no law required Bongo to resign from the government and that if Bongo decided his ministerial position was incompatible with his candidacy, then he would have to make an individual decision to resign.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Background
On 14 August 2009, the former minister Jean Rémy Pendy Bouyiki, who was a member of the PDG Political Bureau, announced that he was leaving the PDG and creating a new party, the Democratic Party for Action and Freedom. The new party was part of the Presidential Majority, and Pendy Bouyiki planned for it to work to defend Ali-Ben Bongo and the PDG against the "very offensive" opposition.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates
The period for the submission of candidate applications ended on the evening of 22 July. By that time CENAP had reportedly received about 30 applications; this was higher than the number of people who had publicly announced intentions to run. The period for voter enrollment was also intended to conclude at the same time; it had been extended by 24 hours, but the UPG and the PSG opposition parties sought a further one-week extension to facilitate full enrollment of everyone who wanted to vote. On 23 July CENAP released the list of the 18 candidates allowed to run for president. Ayo Assayi, Eyeghé Ndong, Duboze Lasseni, Mba Abessole, and Mehdi Teale all withdrew in favor of André Mba Obame on 28 August, two days before the elections. Casimir Oyé-Mba withdrew on 30 August, the day of the elections, thereby reducing the list to 17 candidates.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, PDG
Daniel Ona Ondo, the First Vice-President of the National Assembly, said on Radio France International on 25 June that he intended to seek the PDG's nomination as its presidential candidate. He was the first person to confirm that he intended to seek the ruling party's nomination, although Eyeghé Ndong and long-time minister Casimir Oyé-Mba had previously signalled that they might do so. Although Ona Ondo said that he intended to only run if he won the PDG nomination, it was noted that he made the announcement publicly without adhering to party guidelines intended to ensure unity and discipline. Eyeghé Ndong had already expressed concerns that Bongo's death could lead to a dangerous weakening of party unity if PDG members announced their candidacies without internal party consultations. The Regional Director of Health in the north, Sany Megwazeb, also stated early on that he would seek the PDG nomination.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, PDG
The deadline for applications for the PDG's nomination was midnight on 4 July. The PDG subsequently announced that ten individuals had applied for the party's presidential nomination. The four key contenders for the nomination were Bongo's son, Ali-Ben Bongo, who was Minister of Defense and a Vice-President of the PDG, Prime Minister Eyeghé Ndong, who was also a Vice-President of the PDG, Casimir Oyé-Mba, who was Minister of State for Mines and Oil and a member of the PDG Political Bureau, and Daniel Ona Ondo, who was First Vice-President of the National Assembly. The other candidates for the nomination were former minister Christiane Bitougah, gynecologist Stéphane Iloko Boussiégui, journalist Thiery Kombila d'Argendieu, National Assembly Deputy Santurel Mandoungou, banker Christian Raphael Gondjout, and Regional Director of Health Sany Megwazeb.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, PDG
Nine of the ten contenders for the PDG nomination were present for hearings before the Standing Committee of the PDG Political Bureau on 6 July; Christian Raphael Gondjout was absent. PDG Secretary-General Faustin Boukoubi announced on 7 July that the party's chosen candidate would not be made known on 8 July as previously planned; this was due to Gondjout's absence as well as the fact that the 30-day mourning period for Bongo ended on that date.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, PDG
Bongo was officially designated as the PDG candidate at an extraordinary party congress on 19 July. Stressing the importance of national unity, he vowed to battle corruption and "redistribute the proceeds of economic growth". PDG Secretary-General Boukoubi described Bongo as the "most dynamic candidate, one who is the most likely to make the necessary changes."


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, PDG
PDG Deputy Secretary-General Angel Ondo announced on 16 July that the party leadership had chosen Ali-Ben Bongo by consensus as the PDG candidate, although this decision still needed to be formally confirmed at a party congress.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Other parties
The Rally for Gabon (RPG), which was part of the Presidential Majority coalition (and formerly an opposition party), held its 11th Extraordinary Congress in Libreville on 12 July 2009 and unanimously chose its President, Deputy Prime Minister Paul Mba Abessole, as its candidate. He was immediately backed by three other parties: the Movement for National Rectification (MORENA) and the National Rally of Woodcutters (RNB), both part of the Presidential Majority, as well as the Party of Equal Opportunity (PEC), an opposition party.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Other parties
The RPG stressed that it had no intentions of leaving the Presidential Majority, but also that Mba Abessole would not withdraw in favor of the PDG candidate prior to the elections. On 12 July, another Presidential Majority party, the Social Democratic Party (PSD), nominated its leader, the government minister Pierre-Claver Maganga Moussavou, as its candidate for the election.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Other parties
On 19 July, opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou—who placed second in the 1998 presidential elections and the 2005 presidential elections—was designated as the candidate of the Alliance for Change and Restoration coalition. Aside from Mamboundou's own party, the Union of the Gabonese People (UPG), this coalition included the National Alliance of Builders (ANB), the Union for the New Republic (UPRN), the National Rally of Woodcutters (RNB), and the Gabonese Socialist Party (PSG).


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Other parties
UGDD President Myboto announced on 20 July that he would stand as a candidate "for a transition" and that he intended to serve only one term if elected. Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge, the Vice-President of Gabon and the President of the Democratic and Republican Alliance (ADERE), said on 21 July that he would not be a candidate.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Independents
Former PDG Senator Victoire Lasseni Duboze announced on 7 July that she would stand as an independent candidate.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Independents
Having failed to win the PDG nomination, Eyeghé Ndong announced on 17 July that he was resigning as Prime Minister and would stand as an independent candidate. Eyeghé Ndong said that he made his decision because there had not truly been a consensus in favor of Bongo, and that therefore the proper procedure was not respected.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Independents
On 17 July, Andre Mba Obame, the Minister of Government Coordination, announced in Barcelona that he would stand as a presidential candidate. According to Mba Obame, he was ready to be President "after twenty-five years of learning and working closely alongside the late President Omar Bongo".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Independents
Casimir Oyé-Mba—who had failed in his bid to win the PDG nomination—announced on 21 July that he would stand as an independent candidate; he questioned the circumstances of Bongo's selection and said that he wanted to be "the true candidate of consensus".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Candidates, Rejected candidates
CENAP received 28 applications in total, but it rejected five of them (all independent candidates: Ela Martin Edzodzomo, Daniel Mengara, Ignace Totapen Myogo, Arlette Ngombomoye, and Joseph Nkorouna) upon examination on 23 July; all of the rejections were either partially or wholly related to non-payment of the bond necessary to stand in the elections.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
In a message to the nation on 14 August, immediately prior to the beginning of the campaign period, Rogombé urged calm and called for the candidates to be "worthy" of the votes they would receive. She also said that the two candidates still serving in the government would be replaced so that all candidates would be on an equal footing for the elections, thereby fulfilling a key opposition demand.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
In a minor reshuffle of the government on 15 August, Biyoghé Mba announced that Interior Minister Jean-François Ndongou was taking over from Bongo as Minister of Defense in an interim capacity, while the Minister of Urban and Regional Planning and the Craft Industry, Norbert Diramba, was taking over from Maganga Moussavou as Minister of Technical Education in an interim capacity.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
The Alliance for Change and Restoration opposition coalition, which had nominated Mamboundou as its candidate, declared at the beginning of its campaign that other candidates were welcome to join the coalition and that it was not too late. On 15 August, four minor candidates—Mauro Nguema, Jean Ntoutoume Ngoua, Claudine Ayo Assayi, and Marcel Ntchoreret—announced that they would be willing to withdraw in favor of a single opposition candidate. Meanwhile, the independent candidate Bruno Ben Moubamba started a hunger strike to demand that the elections be postponed.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
Mamboundou said on 20 August that Gabon did not need a Senate and that he would seek the abolition of the Senate through referendum if he were elected. Speaking in Port-Gentil on 21 August, Bongo condemned criticism of his father's presidency, saying that the critics had lived well for years under his father, but after his death they claimed "with Bongo I had nothing, I didn't eat, there was nothing..." He thus alleged that the critics were "ungrateful ... traitors" who were "telling lots of lies".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
Continuing in his hunger strike in front of the National Assembly to press his demands for the resignation of the government and a delay in the elections, Moubamba's condition had sufficiently deteriorated by 22 August that he fainted and was involuntarily hospitalized by his campaign workers.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
In an interview with Radio France Internationale on 24 August 2009, Myboto reiterated his "solemn commitment" to serving only one term of seven years if he won the elections; he said that he would use that time to "put Gabon on track" and then "pass the baton" to a "properly elected and credible" successor. Pointing to his resignation from the government in 2001, he stressed that in order to discourage the tendency of politicians to try to remain in office "forever", it was necessary to lead by example.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
Myboto also said that he would reform the constitution to restore the presidential two-term limit and "end the life presidency in Gabon". In the same interview, Myboto expressed grave doubts about the fairness of the elections, saying that the electoral list was seriously inflated and fraudulent; nevertheless, he said it was still worthwhile to participate in the elections so as to do "everything possible" to prevent "monarchy".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
During campaigning, the major candidates, including Bongo and the key opposition candidates, tended to stress the importance of better management of the country's wealth, including wealth redistribution. Oyé-Mba criticized the uneven distribution of wealth in Gabon: "60 percent of Gabonese live below the vital minimum income threshold ... and only two percent of the population really benefits from the wealth of our country". Eyeghé Ndong sharply criticized "the Bongo system", declaring that the people wanted "new governance" and an end to the "embezzling of public funds and illicit enrichment". Nevertheless, despite widespread criticism of the way Omar Bongo had maintained support through handouts of money, it was observed that this practice was deeply ingrained in Gabonese society, and some believed it would be a difficult habit to break.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
Agence France-Presse described Bongo as "the overwhelming favorite" because he was the candidate of the most powerful and established political party in Gabon and because he had massive campaign resources at his disposal. During the campaign, his image was described as ubiquitous in Libreville. The opposition adopted the slogan "anyone but Ali". On 25 August 2009, Eyeghé Ndong called for the opposition candidates to join together in support of a single candidate to face Bongo. The opposition candidates gathered for negotiations at a meeting chaired by Eyeghé Ndong and held a secret ballot to choose a joint candidate.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
The vote concluded early on 28 August and André Mba Obame was declared the victor. A statement was then sent to the press announcing that 11 candidates were withdrawing from the elections and rallying behind Mba Obame's candidacy. However, several of the candidates—Oyé-Mba, Bourdes-Ogouliguende, Victoire Lasseni Duboze, and Ben Moubamba—promptly denied this, saying that they were still running and did not support Mba Obame.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Campaign
After a brief period of confusion, five candidates publicly rallied behind Mba Obame, withdrawing their own candidacies: Mba Abessole, Eyeghé Ndong, Mehdi Teale, Claudine Ayo Assayi, and Jean Ntoutoume Ngoua. Praising the withdrawing candidates, Mba Obame called them a "dream team" and declared that with their support he could not lose. A representative of Eyeghé Ndong said that the withdrawing candidates were putting the call of the people ahead of their own egos. Gondjout, the Minister of Communication, initially said that the withdrawing candidates would have to remain on the ballot, but CENAP subsequently said that their names would be removed. Meanwhile, speaking to the press at his last campaign rally, Bongo expressed confidence and satisfaction.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Conduct
Voting on 30 August proceeded in a generally peaceful atmosphere with high voter turnout. Some isolated violence was reported. Oyé-Mba withdrew his candidacy on election day, citing his concerns about the possibility of violence.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Following the vote on 30 August, Mamboundou's campaign promptly declared that he was "ahead by a long way", holding the lead in eight of Gabon's nine provinces; Mamboundou discussed his economic plans as if victory were a foregone conclusion. Mba Obame was also quick to predict his own victory, saying that "it will take a miracle to stop us"; he claimed to have the lead in four provinces, while saying that Mamboundou was ahead in three provinces and Bongo was ahead in two.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Mba Obame's television channel, TV+, was prevented from broadcasting; the opposition alleged that this was done for political reasons. Mamboundou claimed to have won the elections with 39.13% of the vote (as the elections were to be decided on a first past the post basis, a plurality was sufficient for victory), while Mba Obame claimed to have won a simple majority, 50.1%.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Bongo, speaking on 31 August, then announced that "information received from various constituencies across Gabon and abroad make me easily the winner"; he dismissed the other candidates' claims, saying that it was predictable that they would claim victory. He also said that he hoped to meet his target of obtaining 50% of the votes, while PDG Secretary-General Boukoubi predicted "a victory, a big victory". Also on 31 August, Myboto claimed that in 75% of the country the people had "voted overwhelmingly for change", and he called on state institutions, including CENAP and the Constitutional Court, to "respect the Constitution and the will of the people".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Réné Aboghé Ella, the President of CENAP, said on 31 August that official results might not be announced until 2 September. He also criticized the candidates for prematurely declaring victory. Both Mamboundou and Mba Obame expressed concern that CENAP and the Interior Ministry could produce fraudulent results in Bongo's favor. Mamboundou supporters gathered at the UPG headquarters in Awendje, Libreville, determined to protect the party's polling station reports, while Mba Obame supporters similarly gathered around his home. Late on 2 September, Mamboundou denounced the conduct of the elections; "It's not just a possibility of fraud. It's fraud pure and simple. The Gabonese people do not want a dynasty. Forty-two years of President Bongo is enough."


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Official results announced by Interior Minister Ndongou on 3 September 2009 gave Bongo 41.7%, Mba Obame 25.8% and Mamboundou 25.2%. This announcement sparked immediate unrest; the French consulate in Port-Gentil was burned, and offices belonging to the French oil industry companies Total and Schlumberger were also attacked by angry protesters, as was a prison.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Much of the protesters' anger was directed at France due to that country's historically warm relationship with the Bongo regime and a belief that it had assisted in rigging the elections; chants of "death to the whites" were reported, and the French government said that French citizens living in Gabon should stay indoors. The results announced by Ndongou were promptly confirmed by the Constitutional Court on 4 September and Bongo was designated as President-elect with 41.73% of the vote. Turnout was officially placed at 44.24%.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Only Bongo, Mba Obame, and Mamboundou won significant shares of the vote; with the exception of Zacharie Myboto, who placed fourth with 3.94%, all of the other candidates received less than 1% each. On 4 September, 17 candidates—every candidate except Ali Bongo—presented a united front by issuing a joint statement denouncing the election results.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
The Constitutional Court announced the results of the recount on 12 October 2009. It again declared Ali Bongo the winner, although the percentages of votes changed slightly as a result of the recount: Bongo was credited with 41.79% of the vote, a slight increase, while Mamboundou moved up to second place with 25.64% and Mba Obame fell to third place with 25.33%. Boukoubi expressed "full satisfaction", saying that "right and the law have prevailed" and that Bongo would "get down to all the problems of the Gabonese people and make Gabon into an emerging country".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Results
Yvette Rekangalt, a minor opposition candidate, dismissed the ruling, saying that the Constitutional Court was "like the Leaning Tower of Pisa—always tilted in one direction." Eyeghé Ndong, speaking on behalf of an opposition coalition that included four of the candidates, denounced the recount results and declared that no one would believe that the Court made its decision in good faith. He urged "the Gabonese people to fight injustice and other moves aimed at muzzling democracy and undermining its sovereignty", although he did not specify what form that resistance should take. Furthermore, he requested the assistance of "the African Union and other international institutions to revive a terminally ailing Gabon".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
Despite a curfew imposed by the government, violence and looting continued in Port-Gentil in the days after the announcement of results. By 5 September, two people were reported killed there and Total evacuated most of its foreign employees to Libreville. Also on 5 September, Bongo attended a Cameroon–Gabon football match at the Omar Bongo Stadium in Libreville and then spoke to Radio France Internationale, stressing the importance of calm and saying that his opponents should pursue legal avenues if they had complaints. Meanwhile, Mba Obame and Myboto emerged from hiding to attend an opposition meeting, although Mamboundou did not.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
According to Mamboundou ally Louis-Gaston Mayila, Mamboundou suffered an arm injury at a demonstration in Libreville, during which the police fired tear gas, and then went into hiding. Communications Minister Gondjout said that Mamboundou was unharmed, however. Although protesters burned cars and set up barricades in Libreville, security forces were in clear control of the streets by the end of the day. Additional violence was reported in Nkembo, located east of Libreville. Meanwhile, Gabonese students in Dakar set fire to Gabon's embassy in Senegal.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
In mid-September, opposition leaders called for the people to stay home and observe a three-day general strike, while Interim President Rogombé urged the people to ignore the opposition leaders and continue with their lives as normal. The strike was largely ignored and business proceeded as usual in Libreville and Port-Gentil. The French news agency AFP reported that people—even those who were supportive of the opposition—appeared unwilling to participate in the strike due to personal economic concerns.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
11 requests for the results to be annulled were received by the Constitutional Court, and on 26 September 2009 it was announced that the Constitutional Court would conduct a recount beginning on 29 September by reviewing each polling station's official report. According to Constitutional Court President Marie-Madeleine Mborantsuo, it would do so "in the presence of bailiffs appointed by the plaintiffs". Boukoubi, the PDG Secretary-General, maintained that "the election took place openly" and that "whether you recount once or 100 times, it doesn't change the results".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
Mborantsuo said that each party would have one representative who would act as both its envoy and its bailiff, but the opposition parties objected, saying that they wanted two representatives each, and boycotted the recount as a result. Since opposition representatives would not be present, the PDG was also barred by the Constitutional Court from having a representative, and the recount began on 30 September. It was announced on 3 October that there would be no preliminary results from the recount and that the outcome would therefore not be publicized until final results were released, which was expected to occur in mid-October.


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
Bongo said that he was and would "always be the president of all the people of Gabon... I am and I will always be at the service of all, without exclusion". Mba Obame continued to claim victory and denounced the results as "an electoral coup d'état". He was sworn in as President at a ceremony on 16 October; various African presidents were present for the occasion. Bongo expressed a commitment to justice and the fight against corruption at the ceremony and said that fast action was needed to "give back confidence and promote the emergence of new hope".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
He also alluded to his father's governing philosophy of preserving stability through regional, tribal, and political balance in the allocation of power, while also stressing that "excellence, competence and work" were even more important than "geographical and political considerations". Later in the day, he announced the reappointment of Biyoghé Mba as Prime Minister; he made the announcement personally "to underline the importance of this moment". According to Bongo, Biyoghé Mba had the necessary experience and managerial competence "to lead us through the next stage", and he said work would start "immediately".


2009 Gabonese presidential election, Aftermath
The composition of Biyoghé Mba's new government was announced on 17 October; it was reduced to only 30 ministers, thus fulfilling Bongo's campaign promise to reduce the size of the government and thereby reduce expenses. The government was also mostly composed of new faces, including many technocrats, although a few key ministers, such as Paul Toungui (Foreign Minister), Jean-François Ndongou (Interior Minister), and Laure Olga Gondjout (Communications Minister), retained their posts.


2009 Gabonese protests
The 2009 Gabonese protests was rioting and popular disturbances with immediate unrest and violent opposition-led street demonstrations and growing civil disobedience movement across Port Gentil and Libreville in Gabon after the immediate results of the 2009 Gabonese presidential election was announced. Tow were left dead amid the unrest, clashes and fighting between the rival forces. French interference in the actions sparked national outrage, one of the causes if the immediate unrest.


2009 Gabonese protests, Background
The protests began as an opposition attempt to protest a gay at electoral difficulties, widespread irregularities and corruption in the election campaigns, according to the opposition, gained support of the president Ali Bongo and the votes was forced to be in favour of his own party (he is the son of former president Omar Bongo). The nationwide and widespread social protests and anti-election protests was caused by the results, sparking tensions and violence.


2009 Gabonese protests, Protests
Security forces fired Tear gas at opposition rallies in Port Gentil, the epicentre of the massive demonstrations against the results of the elections, despite police presence. Thousands of demonstrators set fire to tires and trash boxes, while in Libreville, protesters chanted slogans against the president and the results, and called for fresh elections.


2009 Gabonese protests, Protests
All of its 10,000 citizens were told to stay in lockdown despite the violence, and France ordered troops into the cities. The protests continued for the next two days, with two killed in the battles with police and protesters on 5 September. Prisoners was also released, seeing the invasion of opposition-inmates in prison camps. Large-scale violence (by Riot police) and the mass demonstrations was largely ignored by the government-sponsored media, however, other media outlets did full coverage on the protests.


2009 Gabonese protests, Protests
Protests over the disputed elections resumed on 4-5 September, despite severe lockdown and clashes. Strikes paralysed most of the eastern city of Port Gentil and two were killed in the citywide uprising. The movement called for stronger elections, the cancellation of the vote, recount of the election despite widespread irregularities. Electoral Commission reported widespread fraud during the elections.


2009 Gagarin Cup Finals
The 2009 Gagarin Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) champion for the 2008–09 season. As a culmination of the 2009 Gagarin Cup playoffs, Ak Bars Kazan defeated Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, four games to three, and were awarded the Gagarin Cup.


2009 Galician regional election
The 2009 Galician regional election was held on Sunday, 1 March 2009, to elect the 8th Parliament of the autonomous community of Galicia. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in the Basque Country.


2009 Galician regional election
The election saw the People's Party (PP) retake control of the parliament from the coalition of the Socialists' Party of Galicia (PSdeG–PSOE) and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG), with a majority of 1 seat. As a result, Alberto Núñez Feijoo became the new President of Galicia.


2009 Galician regional election, Overview, Electoral system
The Parliament of Galicia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Galicia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the regional Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.


2009 Galician regional election, Overview, Electoral system
Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in Galicia and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 75 members of the Parliament of Galicia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra, with each being allocated an initial minimum of 10 seats and the remaining 35 being distributed in proportion to their populations.


2009 Galician regional election, Overview, Electoral system
The use of the D'Hondt method might result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.


2009 Galician regional election, Overview, Election date
The term of the Parliament of Galicia expired four years after the date of its previous election, unless it was dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Journal of Galicia (DOG), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 19 June 2005, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 19 June 2009. The election decree was required to be published in the DOG no later than 26 May 2009, with the election taking place up to the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Saturday, 25 July 2009.


2009 Galician regional election, Overview, Election date
The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament of Galicia and call a snap election, provided that it did not occur before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.


2009 Galician regional election, Parties and candidates
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.


2009 Galician regional election, Parties and candidates
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:


2009 Galician regional election, Opinion polls
The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 38 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Galicia.


2009 Galician regional election, Opinion polls
Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls  Exit poll


2009 Galway City Council election
An election to Galway City Council took place on 5 June 2009 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 15 councillors were elected from three electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office.


2009 Galway County Council election
An election to Galway County Council took place on 5 June 2009 as part of that year's Irish local elections. 30 councillors were elected from five electoral divisions by PR-STV voting for a five-year term of office.


2009 Game Show Awards
The American 2009 Game Show Awards were presented on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. Howie Mandel was the host for the ceremony. The awards show was also a game show. Games were played with members of the audience, giving away cash and prizes worth $100,000. The trophies were designed to look like buzzers.


2009 Game Show Awards
The Game Show Awards was not an annual event, as there were no plans for a future version of the awards.


2009 Game Show Awards, Winners and nominees
Listed below are the nominees in each award category, with award winners listed first and denoted in bold text.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe
The 2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, also known as the XIIIth Games of the Small States of Europe were held in June 2009 among the participant nations in the Games of the Small States of Europe. The opening ceremonies were on June 1, and the closing ceremonies on June 6. The games were held in Cyprus, twenty years after the first Games held there in 1989. Malta was scheduled for 2009 in the rotation, but were selected to host the games early in 2003. The organizing committee estimates the cost at 1.5 million euros for all events.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Overview
The opening ceremony took place at the New GSP Stadium. A world premiere composed by David Foster was performed by tenor Mario Frangoulis on Monday 1 June 2009. The principal sponsor of the event was Coca-Cola in a deal worth €140,000.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Participants
Montenegro, although eligible, did not participate. A record 1,500 athletes were expected to participate in the event.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Official logo and mascot
The official logo and the mascot, Tefkros the dove were revealed on the official website on May 14, 2008.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Events
Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of medal events contested in each sport.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Venues
The majority of events (6 of 12) were held in venues in Nicosia. The southern city of Limassol hosted Beach Volleyball, Gymnastics, Sailing and Swimming, whilst the Mountain Bike events were held at the National Park of Machairas at an average altitude of 700m.


2009 Games of the Small States of Europe, Media coverage
Lumiere TV and  the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation covered the event. Live transmission through Hellas Sat of many events was covered in High Definition. Two daily summaries were also released.


2009 Gangwon FC season
The 2009 season was Gangwon FC's first ever season in the K-League in South Korea. Gangwon FC competed in K-League, League Cup and Korean FA Cup. In K-League, they won two consecutive games at first, but failed to win any of their following eight matches. They were eliminated from the League Cup as of May 5, 2009 after losing to Incheon United by 2-3. Gangwon won three games consecutively in the league by June 27. In Korean FA Cup 2009, however, they lost to Chunnam Dragons on 1 July.


2009 Gangwon FC season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2009 Gastein Ladies
The 2009 Gastein Ladies was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 3rd edition of the Gastein Ladies, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour. It was held in Bad Gastein, Austria, from 20 July until 26 July 2009. Andrea Petkovic won the singles title.


2009 Gastein Ladies, WTA entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw


2009 Gastein Ladies, Finals, Doubles
Andrea Hlaváčková /  Lucie Hradecká defeated  Tatjana Malek /  Andrea Petkovic, 6–2, 6–4


2009 Gastein Ladies – Doubles
Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká were the defending champions, and won in the final, 6–2, 6–4, against Tatjana Malek and Andrea Petkovic.


2009 Gastein Ladies – Singles
Pauline Parmentier was the defending champion, but she was defeated in the second round by Magdaléna Rybáriková.


2009 Gastein Ladies – Singles
Andrea Petkovic won in the final, 6–2, 6–3, against Ioana Raluca Olaru.


2009 Gatineau municipal election
A municipal election was held in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada on November 1, 2009 in conjunction with municipal elections across Quebec on that date. Elections were held for Mayor of Gatineau as well as for each of the 18 districts on Gatineau City Council.


2009 Gatineau municipal election, Controversies
Signs in the Gatineau area-sponsoring Lucerne District Councillor candidate Barbara Charlebois posters were removed and vandalized due to her election poster being primarily in English. A similar act of vandalism was perpetrated on the offices of the Regional Association of West Quebecers, a not-for profit organization that support English-Speakers in the community,  of which Charlebois is vice-president. Jean-Roch Villemaire, a former provincial candidate for the extreme-separatist Parti indépendantiste, took responsibility for both situations.


2009 Gatineau municipal election, Mayoral race
At 8:59 pm, CBC reported that Marc Bureau, the incumbent mayor of Gatineau had won the Gatineau mayoral race.


2009 Gator Bowl
The 2009 Gator Bowl was played on January 1, 2009, as part of the 2008 College Football season. It featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who finished tied for first in the Big 12 Conference's North Division with Missouri, and the Clemson Tigers, who finished fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division. Nebraska scored 16 unanswered points to beat Clemson after being down 21–10 in the third quarter. This game was the first meeting between the Clemson Tigers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers since the 1982 Orange Bowl where Clemson defeated Nebraska for their first national title. This was the second game between both schools with Nebraska evening up the record.


2009 Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It is one of the oldest college bowls, held continuously since 1946. This edition's full name was the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl after its sponsor, Konica Minolta.


2009 Gator Bowl, Overview
The Gator Bowl has tie-ins from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 Conference, and Big East Conferences, as well as independent Notre Dame. They have the right to the third pick of a team from the ACC, and have the option to offer the other spot to the second pick from the Big East, the fourth pick from the Big 12, or Notre Dame.


2009 Gator Bowl, Overview
The 2009 game featured the ACC's Clemson Tigers, who finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 7-5 (4-4 in the ACC) playing the Big 12's Nebraska Cornhuskers, who finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 8–4 (5–3 in the Big 12). Clemson went to the Chick-fil-A Bowl in 2007, while Nebraska did not qualify for a bowl game.


2009 Gator Bowl, Teams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers
Nebraska opened up the season with 3 straight wins against Western Michigan, San Jose State, and New Mexico State. Bo Pelini's arrival saw a renewed interest and optimism in Nebraska football, as evidenced by their record Pay-Per View buys. Nebraska then proceeded to lose a close game to Virginia Tech, while getting beat by Missouri the next week. Hitting the road for the first time of the season, the Huskers lost to Texas Tech in overtime. Then the Huskers traveled to Ames, Iowa and beat Iowa State University in a dominant fashion.


2009 Gator Bowl, Teams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers
They came back home and won against the Baylor Bears. Pelini's Huskers then lost on the road the following week to the Oklahoma Sooners. This game marked the first time Pelini went up against Bob Stoops who he formerly worked under as defensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma in 2004.


2009 Gator Bowl, Teams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers
On November 8, Bo Pelini's Nebraska Cornhuskers won against Kansas, making them bowl eligible, something his predecessor, Bill Callahan, was able to accomplish only twice in four years. On November 28, 2008, the Cornhuskers faced the Colorado Buffaloes. This game proved to be a close one, with Nebraska getting win #8, 40–31 with the help of a school record 57 yard field goal by Alex Henery and an interception by Ndamukong Suh which was run back for a touchdown. This victory tied Nebraska with Missouri for first in the Big 12 North, although Missouri represented the division in the conference championship game because of its tie-breaking, head-to-head win over the Huskers.


2009 Gator Bowl, Teams, Clemson Tigers
The season started with head coach Tommy Bowden, who resigned six games into his tenth season with a 3-3 record in 2008. The interim head coach Dabo Swinney took over the team and had a 4-2 record going into the Gator Bowl.


2009 Gator Bowl, Recap
After both teams traded punts throughout most of the first and second quarters, DeAndre McDaniel of Clemson scored on a 28 yard fumble return, with 4:52 in the second, after he batted down a pitch by Joe Ganz. The Cornhuskers battled back, and were able to tack on a 48 yard Alex Henery field goal with 1:10 left in the first half. Clemson was driving for another score before the half when Cullen Harper's pass was deflected and picked off by Nebraska. On the next play, Joe Ganz threw an interception right back to Clemson. Clemson capitalized with a 25 yard touchdown catch by Aaron Kelly with just 0:35 left in the half. Clemson took a 14–3 lead into halftime.


2009 Gator Bowl, Recap
Quarterback Joe Ganz drove the Huskers the length of the field on Nebraska's first possession of the second half, capping off with a 17 yard touchdown catch by Nate Swift to bring the Huskers within four. After Nebraska receiver Niles Paul botched the punt return, Clemson's Jacoby Ford caught a 41 yard touchdown pass to put Clemson up 21–10.


2009 Gator Bowl, Recap
Nebraska struck back with Joe Ganz eventually finding receiver Todd Peterson from 17 yards out for a touchdown to bring the Huskers within four points of Clemson at 21-17. Nebraska's Blackshirt defense intercepted Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper on the next drive. The turnover led to an Alex Henery 28-yard field goal to bring Nebraska within one point at 21–20. Clemson went three-and-out on their next four drives while Nebraska managed two field goals to bring the score to a 26–21 Nebraska lead.


2009 Gator Bowl, Recap
Despite the success of the Nebraska defense, Clemson held one more drive for a go-ahead touchdown. With no timeouts, Clemson converted on a third down and later a fourth down until they eventually drove down to the NU 10 yard line for a 1st & Goal situation. On 2nd & Goal, Nebraska cornerback Eric Hagg sacked Cullen Harper for 16 yards back at the NU 26. On 3rd & Goal, Harper found his tailback C.J. Spiller in the endzone, only to have the ball knocked from Spiller's hands by Cornhusker safety, Matt O'Hanlon. Facing a 4th & Goal, Harper threw an incomplete pass to end their drive, giving the ball back to Nebraska with no way to stop the clock. Nebraska kneeled on the ball three times, ending the game and giving the Huskers the 26-21 victory.


2009 Gator Bowl, Aftermath
The Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Bo Pelini continued his perfect postseason record to 2-0. Pelini's 2008 regular season record of 9-4 was the highest among all 28 Division 1A teams with new head coaches and staffs that year. Ndamukong Suh was named to the all Bowl team award.


2009 Gatorade Duels
The 2009 Gatorade Duels were a pair of 150 miles (240 km) qualifying races for the 2009 Daytona 500, and were held on February 12, 2009, at the 2.5 miles (4.0 km) Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.


2009 Gatorade Duels
The races set the field for the 51st running of "The Great American Race", and are the only races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup that qualifies drivers and their teams for a points-paying race. The top 35 drivers from the previous season automatically made "The Great American Race" regardless of position. Race one sets the field for spaces on the inside of the pole sitter (in this case, Martin Truex, Jr.), which is locked in via the traditional two-lap process on February 8, while race two sets the field on the outside behind other front row driver.


2009 Gatorade Duels
The field for race one consisted of the cars that qualified in odd-numbered positions (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) and race two conversely saw cars that qualified in even-numbered positions (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, etc.). All starting positions for the 500 were determined by the duels, except for the front row which is locked in after qualifying. In the races, the top two finishers not in the Top 35 from the previous season automatically qualify. The remaining cars are locked in via qualifying speeds, point owners exemptions and (if needed) a past champion's provisional going to the most recent past champion.


2009 Gatorade Duels
For the third consecutive year, a driver each from Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports won the Duels.


2009 Gatorade Duels
Both races had spectacular finishes. In the first duel, Jeff Gordon beat out Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and Aric Almirola. That group was within .40 of a second within each other on the last lap. Race two had Kyle Busch holding off Mark Martin and Brian Vickers by .26 of a second over Martin and .264 of Vickers.


2009 Gatorade Duels, Results
Those in boldface were qualified as top two finishers not in 2008 owner points top 35 exemptions. Also making race on speed:  Bill Elliott (#21), Regan Smith (#78), Travis Kvapil (#28). Making race using champions provisional: Terry Labonte (#66).


2009 Geelong Football Club season
The 2009 Geelong Football Club season was the club's 110th season in the Australian Football League (AFL). Geelong won the 2009 NAB Cup, their third night series/pre-season premiership, defeating Collingwood by 76 points, and finished the regular season in second position on the ladder, resulting in qualification for the 2009 AFL finals series. Geelong's regular season record (18 wins, four losses) was the first time a team had won 18 or more matches in the VFL/AFL's regular season for three consecutive seasons (2007, 2008, 2009). Geelong then proceeded to win its qualifying and preliminary finals in succession to earn a place in the 2009 AFL Grand Final against the minor premiers St Kilda. Geelong won the 2009 Grand Final over St Kilda by 80 points to 68.


2009 General Cup International
The 2009 General Cup was an invitational professional snooker tournament that took place between 13–17 July 2009 at the General Snooker Club in Hong Kong.


2009 General Cup International
Ricky Walden won in the final 6–2 against Liang Wenbo.


2009 General Cup International, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


2009 Generali Ladies Linz
The 2009 Generali Ladies Linz was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 23rd edition of the Generali Ladies Linz, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour. It was held at the TipsArena Linz in Linz, Austria, from October 10 through October 18, 2009.


2009 Generali Ladies Linz, WTA Players, Other Entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2009 Generali Ladies Linz, Champions, Doubles
Anna-Lena Grönefeld /  Katarina Srebotnik def. Klaudia Jans /  Alicja Rosolska, 6-1, 6-4


2009 Generali Ladies Linz – Doubles
Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama were the defending champions, but Sugiyama retired from the sport on October 2, 2009, and only Srebotnik competed that year. Srebotnik partnered with Anna-Lena Grönefeld, and they won in the final 6-1, 6-4 against Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska.


2009 Generali Ladies Linz – Singles
Ana Ivanovic was the defending champion, but she decided not to compete this year.


2009 Generali Ladies Linz – Singles
Yanina Wickmayer won the title, defeating Petra Kvitová in the final 6–3, 6–4.


2009 Geneva Golden Tornadoes football team
The 2009 Geneva Golden Tornadoes football team represented Geneva College in the 2009 NCAA Division III football season and finished as NCCAA champions. The Golden Tornadoes played their home games at Reeves Field.


2009 Geneva Golden Tornadoes football team
The season began with a non-conference game against Frostburg State, followed by a non-conference game against conference opponent and fellow provisional NCAA Division III member Saint Vincent. Following eight conference games in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, the Golden Tornadoes played Greenville in the 2009 Victory Bowl.


2009 Geneva Golden Tornadoes football team, Coaching staff, Head coach
The head coach was Geno DeMarco, who was in his 17th season at the helm of the Golden Tornadoes. DeMarco also worked as the offensive coordinator for the team.


2009 Geneva Grand Council election
The 2009 election to the Grand Council was held in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 October 2009. All 100 members of the Grand Council were elected for four-year terms.


2009 Geneva Grand Council election
The Liberal Party remained the largest party, with twenty seats, having lost three since 2005. The centre-right 'Entente', between the Liberals, Free Democratic Party, and Christian Democrats lost a total of five seats. The main winners were the populist Geneva Citizens' Movement, who almost doubled their number of seats to draw level with the Green Party as the second-largest contingent. The far left alliance between solidaritéS and the Swiss Party of Labour failed to overcome the 7% threshold for representation, despite each having each separately received more than 6% at the 2005 election.


2009 Geneva Grand Council election, Footnotes
This Swiss elections-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


2009 Gent–Wevelgem
The 2009 Gent–Wevelgem took place on 8 April 2009. It was won by Edvald Boasson Hagen in a sprint finish. The race was the seventh event in the inaugural UCI World Ranking series.


2009 Georgetown Hoyas football team
The 2009 Georgetown Hoyas football team was an American football team that represented Georgetown University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was led by Kevin Kelly, in his fourth season as head coach. The Hoyas played their home games at Multi-Sport Field in Washington, D.C.  Georgetown failed to win a game, a first since 1885. However, they still filled their stadium past capacity for half their home games.


2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team
The 2009 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs competed in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This was the Georgia Bulldogs' ninth season under head coach Mark Richt. The Bulldogs finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in SEC play and won the Independence Bowl, 44–20, against Texas A&M.


2009 Georgia Southern Eagles football team
The 2009 Georgia Southern Eagles team represented Georgia Southern University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Eagles were led by third-year head coach Chris Hatcher, who was fired following the conclusion of the season, and played their home games at Paulson Stadium. They were a member of the Southern Conference. They finished the season 5–6, 4–4 in Southern Conference play.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by second year head coach Paul Johnson. Georgia Tech played their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field in Atlanta.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The Yellow Jackets finished the season 11–3, 7–1 in ACC play, represented the coastal division in the ACC Championship Game where they defeated Atlantic Division champion Clemson 39–34 to earn the ACC's automatic bid to the BCS. The Yellow Jackets would be invited to the FedEx Orange Bowl where they lost 24–14 to Iowa. Later in 2011 the ACC Championship was vacated by the NCAA due to the circumstances surrounding an improper benefits investigation.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Previous season
The previous season ended with a 9–4 record under first-year head coach Paul Johnson, including a share of the ACC Coastal Crown and continuing 12-year bowl streak with an invite to the 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Jackets ended a 13-game losing streak against Florida State with a 31–28 win in Atlanta, and ended a seven-game losing streak to rival Georgia by 45–42 in Athens. Tech finished the season ranked 22 in the AP and the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Johnson was named ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Conference Media Association and 2008 National Coach of the Year by CBSSports.com.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Preseason
The 2009 squad returns ACC Player of the Year and All-American B-Back Jonathan Dwyer, Quarterback Josh Nesbitt, A-Back Roddy Jones, WR Demaryius Thomas, and the entire offensive line from the bowl game. Tech adds Louisville transfer Anthony Allen to the backfield. On defense, Tech returns eight of eleven starters including All-ACC players Morgan Burnett and Derrick Morgan. Tech returns nineteen starters to a squad that defeated three ranked teams in 2008. Johnson signed a recruiting class of 21 players.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Jacksonville State
Georgia Tech rushed for nearly 300 yards behind Jonathan Dwyer's 96 yards on just 7 carries. On the first play of the season, the former ACC Player of the Year took a Josh Nesbitt pitch 74 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Dwyer was untouched on the carry. The B-Back, Tech's feature back in the offense, carried the ball six more times in the game, finishing with seven carries. Josh Nesbitt connected on a touchdown with Anthony Allen. In Tech's home opener, Demaryius "BayBay" Thomas posted a 100-yard receiving performance, catching the ball four times for 101 yards. All-American candidate Morgan Burnett listed an interception, his first of 2009 and 11th of his career. Coach Johnson earned his 10th win at Georgia Tech.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Clemson
Georgia Tech earned a second half scare by Clemson. However, Scott Blair connected on three field goals for the Yellow Jackets to seal the win. Tech scored on three plays in the first half. Louisville transfer Anthony Allen took a Josh Nesbitt pitch 82 yards down the sideline to score Tech's first touchdown on its opening possession. Jerrard Tarrant returned a punt 65 yards to increase the Tech lead to 14–0. Following a Scott Blair field goal, Tech on its ensuing possession marched the ball downfield only to have itself stopped.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Clemson
On 4th down, Tech ran onto the field with its kicking unit, but instead of kicking the field goal, Blair took the snap, finding "BayBay" Thomas down the sideline, earning a 40-yard touchdown score for the White and Gold. While Tech led 24–7 at the half, the Tech defense gave up 27 unanswered points. Clemson took the lead 27–24 in the 4th quarter. Tech, who was 0–9 on third down attempts early in the 4th, converted three in a row late in the 4th quarter with Josh Nesbitt earning two consecutive field goals. Anthony Allen ran for 127 yards on 5 carries, 25.4 yards per carry. The Tech Defense intercepted Kyle Parker twice.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Miami
Georgia Tech traveled to Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida to compete against the University of Miami. Offensive Coordinator Mark Whipple and Miami Quarterback Jacory Harris prepared a game plan against Dave Wommack and the Georgia Tech Defense. Miami threw the ball for 300 yards. Tech managed to run for only 180 yards, and it earned merely 250 yards of total offense. Josh Nesbitt and Demaryius Thomas hooked up for a touchdown late in the game.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Miami
On just Tech's third possession of the game, a 40-yard Roddy Jones touchdown was nullified on a block in the back call by walk-on Kevin Cone. The crucial call nullified a 14–10 score midway through the second quarter. The Tech offense stalled out on the same drive, attempting a 40-yard field goal which was missed by PK Scott Blair.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, North Carolina
Georgia Tech bounced back the following week in Atlanta against the University of North Carolina. Butch Davis and the Tar Heels came in ranked in the Top 20. The Tech defense held North Carolina to just 154 yards of total offense, including only 17 on the ground. The Tech offense, led by Jonathan Dwyer, rushed for 317 yards. Josh Nesbitt showed improvement in the air, earning a completion % of 60. He connected with Demaryius "BayBay" Thomas for a touchdown. Jonathan Dwyer finished with 157 yards on 17 carries. Josh Nesbitt ran for two touchdowns and Roddy Jones ran one in from 13.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
Georgia Tech was 2–0 against Mississippi State University in the all-time series going into the October 3 contest between the two schools. On the first possession of the game, former Tulsa DE and current Georgia Tech End Anthony Egbuniwe sacked MSU QB Tyson Lee, stripping the ball from Lee's possession and gaining possession for Georgia Tech. Stephen Hill took a 30-yard reverse to the house on Tech's opening drive. Josh Nesbitt threw 266 yards on 11 of 14 completions and a touchdown.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
Nesbitt led the Tech offense all the way to MSU's goal line on its second possession with his throwing. Jonathan Dwyer ran the ball in from two yards to improve the Tech lead to 14–0. MSU responded with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Tech was slated to go up 21–7 when Jonathan Dwyer fumbled the ball around Tech's goal line and MSU recovered, earning a touchback and possession of the football. On the ensuing drive, Lee and Anthony Dixon fumbled; DB Jerrard Tarrant picked it up, returning it 35 yards to the house. Tech won the contest by a score of 42–31. The Tech defense gave up 497 yards of total offense.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Georgia Tech ran for 401 yards en route to defeating Florida State 49–44 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. Tech had never defeated the Seminoles in Tallahassee previously. Jonathan Dwyer ran for a couple scores, one of which was a 69-yard memorable dart downfield on the first play of Tech's third possession. A-Backs Anthony Allen, Marcus Wright, and Embry Peeples posted stellar games. Allen took a pitch 60 yards down the sideline on Tech's second drive to set up a Josh Nesbitt one yard touchdown. Tech had four possessions in the first half, scoring on each of them.


2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team, Game summaries, Florida State
It finished with 49 points. Nesbitt added two more touchdowns, the final coming late in 4th quarter. On the game-winning drive, Roddy Jones dropped a Josh Nesbitt pitch, and FSU picked it up, maintaining possession. However, Nesbitt used both of his hands to take the football back before the FSU player was down, regaining possession for Tech. Nesbitt later scored on a 25-yard scamper that same drive, sealing victory for the White and Gold. The epic scamper increased the Tech lead to 11 at 49–38. While the Tech Offense posted a career day, the Tech defense struggled.