* Bongo tells rival Jean Ping to appeal to court
* Ping says has no faith in constitutional court
* France supports idea of recount (Adds Ping spokesman quote)
By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome
LIBREVILLE, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Gabon's President Ali Bongoshrugged off growing international pressure on Wednesday torecount last week's disputed election, saying it was a matterfor the constitutional court to decide.
Opposition leader Jean Ping, who has branded the Aug. 27election a sham, said he did not trust the court. The EuropeanUnion has also questioned the validity of the results andFrance, the former colonial ruler, backs the idea of a recount.
The poll and its violent aftermath - at least six peoplehave died in riots - have drawn international attention toGabon, which counts Total and Royal Dutch Shell PLC among foreign investors. The inflow of petrodollars have made it one of Africa's richest nations by GDP per capita,but they have mostly benefited the elite.
Asked in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesdaywhether he would permit a recount, Bongo told France's RTLradio: "What people should be asking me to do is apply the law.I cannot violate the law. As far as a recount is concerned ...that's done at the level of the Constitutional Court."
Bongo, whose family has ruled Gabon for half a century, saidthat under the electoral law, his opponents had until 1400 GMTon Thursday to lodge their complaints with the court. He said hewas preparing his own objections.
Ping, a former diplomat, said he had no faith in theconstitutional court, the highest legal body that can rule on anelection, and said any recount should take place underinternational supervision.
"The constitutional court is the Bongo family. We knowthat," Ping told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday.
Ping's camp has alleged the number of votes cast for Bongoin southeastern Haut-Ogooue province was inflated. Officialfigures show the president won 95.46 percent of the vote, aftera 99.9 percent turnout.
"I AM A DEMOCRAT"
The African Union has said it will send mediators to Gabonthis week. The United Nations, which will send a representativeto attend the process, is encouraging the opposition to file anappeal with the constitutional court.
"We hope the African Union mission ... will demand, as didPresident Ping, as well as national and international publicopinion, a recount polling station by polling station," saidPing spokesman Rene Ndemezo Obiang at a press conference.
Obiang said Ping had yet to appeal to the court.
"Are we going to?" he said. "We shall see."
Asked whether he would accept the court's ruling if it didexamine the results, Bongo told Europe 1 radio: "I am ademocrat. I am in favour of the Constitutional Court taking upthe case." He added he expected it would rule in his favour.
Bongo said any suggestion of forming a unity government withopponents was premature.
"It is difficult to work with those who asked the Gabonesepeople to go into the streets and loot," he said.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, whose country was onceclose to Bongo's father and predecessor, suggested on Tuesday arecount would be sensible, and urged the Gabonese authorities tohelp locate about 15 French nationals who are missing.
"They are among those who rioted and looted and weretherefore arrested," Bongo said, adding that six dual nationalswould be treated like any citizen of Gabon. (Additional reporting by Richard Lough, Matt Bigg in Accra andSimon Carraud in Paris; Writing by Richard Lough and EdwardMcAllister; Editing by Tim Cocks and Gareth Jones)
