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Key Points

Gabon is preparing for its first presidential election since the military coup in August 2023, scheduled for April 12. The election follows a significant constitutional referendum that transformed the country's political system to a presidential regime. No candidates have officially declared their intention to run yet, adding intrigue to the upcoming vote. The new constitution, approved by over 91% of voters, extends presidential terms to seven years and abolishes the Prime Minister position.

Key Points: Gabon's Presidential Election Set for April 12

  • First presidential election following military takeover in August 2023
  • New constitution transforms Gabon's political system
  • Seven-year presidential term replaces previous five-year model
  • Election planned amid significant national political restructuring
2 min read

First round of Gabon's presidential election set for April

Gabon announces first presidential election after military coup, marking a significant political transition under new constitutional reforms.

"The electoral college will be convened for the announced date - Séraphin Akure-Davin, Energy Minister"

Libreville, Jan 23

Gabon's Energy Minister and government spokesperson Séraphin Akure-Davin has announced that the central African country's presidential election will take place on April 12.

The electoral college will be convened for the announced date, with voting taking place in accordance with regulations in force, he said while reading the final communique from the Council of Ministers, chaired by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.

As of now, no one has officially declared candidacy for president.

On August 30, 2023, Gabon announced that Ali Bongo had been re-elected in the presidential election held on August 26. Shortly afterward, members of the military, on behalf of the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) established by them, declared the annulment of the election results, claiming they had seized power and dissolved state institutions.

Nguema, Commander-in-Chief of the Gabonese Republican Guard, was subsequently appointed as head of the CTRI and the transitional president of Gabon.

In November of the same year, the CTRI announced plans to hold a referendum on the new constitution by the end of 2024 and to organise general elections in August 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the new constitution adopted in November 2024, Gabon will implement a presidential system, abolishing the position of Prime Minister.

Over 91 per cent of voters had approved the new constitution in a referendum which came more than one year after the military junta seized power in the oil-rich country in a coup.

The new constitution aims for transition from the current semi-parliamentary system to a presidential regime. The president will gain the power to dissolve the National Assembly once during his term.

Under the new constitution, the presidential term will be extended to seven years, renewable only once, up from five years with unlimited renewals.

- IANS

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