The president, Omar Bongo Ondimba, will remain the dominant political figure in the country and will use the overwhelming majority of the ruling party, Parti democratique gabonais (PDG), in the National Assembly to push his political programme through. The local elections, expected to take place in early 2008, are likely to reinforce the dominant position of the PDG at all levels of governance. The Economist Intelligence Unit expects that Gabon will respect most of the targets agreed with the IMF in the stand-by agreement that ends in 2010 and that it will use its fiscal savings to reduce the country's debt stock. Real GDP growth is forecast to remain robust, at 4.1% in 2008 and 5% in 2009, owing to strong activity in the non-oil sector and sustained oil production. Inflation is expected to remain under control, at 3% in 2008 and 3.5% in 2009, as the government is not expected to implement a sharp rise in fuel prices.