Gabon votes on new constitution after military seized power last year

Gabon is holding a referendum Saturday connected whether to follow a caller constitution much than 1 twelvemonth aft mutinous soldiers overthrew the country's longtime president and seized powerfulness successful the oil-rich Central African nation.

Nearly 1 cardinal radical are expected to vote. The draught constitution, which proposes sweeping changes that could forestall dynastic regularisation and transportation of power, needs much than 50% of the votes formed to beryllium adopted.

In 2023, soldiers toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba and enactment him nether location arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance and monolithic embezzlement that risked starring the state into chaos. The junta released Ondimba a week aboriginal connected humanitarian grounds, allowing him to question overseas for aesculapian treatment.

The soldiers proclaimed their enactment defender chief, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, arsenic president of a transitional committee to pb the country. Oligui is simply a relative of Bongo.

Bongo had served 2 presumption since coming to powerfulness successful 2009 aft the decease of his father, who ruled the state for 41 years. His regularisation was marked by wide discontent with his reign. A coup effort successful 2019 failed.

The draught constitution imposes a seven-year statesmanlike term, renewable once, alternatively of the existent charter that allows five-year presumption renewable without limit. It besides says household members cannot win a president and abolishes the presumption of premier minister.

The erstwhile French colony is simply a subordinate of OPEC, but its lipid wealthiness is concentrated successful the hands of a fewer — and astir 40% of Gabonese ages 15 to 24 were retired of enactment successful 2020, according to the World Bank. Its lipid export gross was $6 cardinal successful 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The polls volition adjacent astatine 6 p.m. Saturday. There is nary ineligible deadline for erstwhile results should beryllium announced.