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A referendum on the new constitution is due to take place before the end of the year, but the people of Gabon have little information about what it contains.
A draft version of Gabon’s future constitution was handed to transitional president, Brice Oligui Nguema, in an official ceremony at Gabon’s presidential palace. The handover came a year after the military ousted President Ali Bongo, whose family had ruled the country for over 50 years.
A referendum on the new constitution is due to take place before the end of the year, but the people of Gabon have little information about what it contains. Before handing over the document, the Minister of Institutional Reform summarised the main changes.
These include the abolishment of the position of prime minister and seven-year term for a president, renewable once. The text said that a president attempting to amend these provisions would be found guilty of high treason.
The president may dissolve parliament, but can also be impeached by members of parliament and senators in the event of high treason. The draft also says that a presidential candidate must have parents who were born Gabonese.
In addition, it elevates the soldiers who overthrew the Bongo regime to the rank of “Heroes” and they will benefit from an amnesty law. The draft also enshrines marriage as the union between two people of opposite sexes.
While many challenges are still ahead, the military government has promised to hold elections in August 2025. There were scenes of jubilation on Gabon’s streets after the coup last year, with young people demanding better living conditions and a fairer distribution of the country’s wealth.
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While World Bank data puts Gabon’s 2021 per capita income as one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, a third of the country’s 2.3 million people live below the poverty line.
