The National Woodcutters Rally is a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in Gabon

Gabon

Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...

. It was founded in 1991 and led by Fr. Paul M'ba Abessole

Paul M'ba Abessole

Fr. Paul Mba Abessole is a Gabonese politician who heads the National Woodcutters' Rally – Rally for Gabon and was a leading opponent of President Omar Bongo during the 1990s...

.

The party is divided into two factions. A split occurred in July 1998 when Pierre-Andre Kombila

Pierre-André Kombila

Pierre-André Kombila Koumba is a Gabonese politician, professor, and medical doctor. He was the First Secretary of the National Rally of Woodcutters , Gabon's main opposition party, from 1990 to 1998; he then led a split from the RNB, establishing the more radical National Rally of Woodcutters -...

 founded the National Woodcutters' Rally - Democratic (Rassemblement national des Bûcherons - Démocratique). The main faction (National Woodcutters' Rally – Rally for Gabon, Rassemblement national des Bûcherons - Rassemblement pour le Gabon, led by M'ba Abessole) has performed much better in elections than the RNB-D, and is considered the main party.

In the 9 December 2001 parliamentary election

Gabonese legislative election, 2001

Gabon held a parliamentary election on 9 December 2001.-Results:...

, the party won 8 out of 120 seats. In the 17 December/24 December 2006 parliamentary election

Gabonese legislative election, 2006

A legislative election was held in Gabon on 17 December 2006 ....

, the party won 8 out of 120 seats.

Although the RNB constituted the main opposition to President Omar Bongo

Omar Bongo

El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....

 during the 1990s—M'ba Abessole officially placed second in the 1993 presidential election

Gabonese presidential election, 1993

Gabon held a presidential election on 5 December 1993. Incumbent President Omar Bongo, in power since 1967, sought a five-year term against 12 other candidates. It was Gabon's first multiparty election, and according to official results Bongo won in the first round with 51.2% of the vote...

—both factions are currently part of the Presidential Majority supporting Bongo. M'ba Abessole has served in the government since January 2002.