Gabon's President Ali Bongo said Sunday that he is "calmly" waiting for the result of the country's presidential election to be published, after his rival Jean Ping claimed victory following Saturday's vote.

"We respect the law... so we are waiting calmly for Cenap (the national election commission) to announce the results of the election," Bongo told a crowd of supporters in his first public remarks since the poll.

Official results are not due out until Tuesday and some voters voiced fears of a repeat of the violence seen after a disputed 2009 election.