Gabon’s Constitutional Court Validates Constitutional Referendum Outcomes

Libreville, Nov 30 (NationPress) Dieudonne Aba'a Owono, the President of Gabon’s Constitutional Court, revealed the conclusive results of the constitutional referendum that took place on November 16, affirming the triumph of Yes with 91.64 percent of the votes, in contrast to 8.36 percent for No.

The referendum witnessed a turnout of 853,028 voters, both domestically and internationally.

These results show slight variations from the figures reported by the Ministry of the Interior on November 17, according to Xinhua news agency.

The court noted that it made several material adjustments. The percentage for Yes was revised from 91.80 percent to 91.64 percent, whereas the No percentage increased marginally from 8.20 percent to 8.36 percent.

The voter turnout rate, which was initially estimated by the Ministry of the Interior at 53.54 percent, has now been corrected to 54.18 percent.

The court also confirmed that it received no legal challenges within the defined period.

With this announcement, the president of the transition is now authorized to promulgate the new constitution, which transitions from a semi-parliamentary system to a presidential regime. The prime minister's position has been abolished and replaced by a newly established role of the vice president of the government, tasked with coordinating governmental actions.

The presidential term is established at seven years, renewable only once. No individual can serve as head of state for more than two terms in Gabon, irrespective of any constitutional amendments. Furthermore, descendants of the outgoing president are barred from running as candidates to avert hereditary succession at the pinnacle of the state.

The ratification of the constitution signifies a crucial phase of the transition, which is anticipated to culminate in a presidential election scheduled for August 2025.