Gabon’s Future Constitution: Lawmakers Face Urgent Deadline

Gabon’s lawmakers have less than a week to submit proposed revisions to the country’s future constitution, with a deadline of September 22.

A draft of the agreement was given to transitional president General Brice Oligui Nguema earlier this month.

The handover occurred a year after the military deposed President Ali Bongo, whose family had dominated the country for more than 50 years.

The key amendment requested by civil society groups last week is a decrease of the presidential term from seven to five years.

They also seek to ease what they call “discriminatory rules” about who can run for president.

Other concerns include a provision in the draft that grants the head of state the authority to dissolve the National Assembly.
They also want to abolish the position of vice president and clarify the conditions for removing a president from office.

Political figures have also weighed in on the plan, with presidential candidate Daniel Mengara being among the first to publicly oppose the project.

He has criticized the document’s “hyper-presidentialism” and advocated for a return to a parliamentary system to preserve a balance of power.

Mengara has filed to the government for the recognition of his political party, the Congress of Free Citizens.

However, while talks on the draft constitution continue, the ruling military will have the last say, with a referendum scheduled for before the end of the year.