Gabonese citizens cast their votes in crucial constitutional referendum

Gabonese citizens have gathered at polling stations across the country today to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment put forward by the military authorities.

The referendum, which is poised to significantly alter the country’s governance structure, has seen a steady turnout, with voters casting their ballots throughout the day.

Polling stations officially opened at 7:00 AM local time (GMT+1), though the first ballots were not cast until 8:15 AM.

By 8:00 AM, voting activities had gained momentum across the capital, Libreville, where long queues were observed, though the atmosphere remained calm.

The police and military are providing security at the polling sites to ensure a peaceful process.

“I arrived at 6:30 AM to make sure I was one of the first to vote,” said Jean Nze, a man in his 50s, holding his voter ID and identification card at the Damas 2 polling station in Libreville’s 4th district.

The constitutional amendment in question proposes a shift from the current semi-parliamentary system to a presidential regime.

If approved, the role of Prime Minister would be abolished, and the National Assembly would lose its power to censure the government.

In contrast, the President of the Republic would gain the authority to dissolve the Assembly once during their term in office.

Another key aspect of the proposed changes is the presidential term, which would be extended to seven years, renewable only once.

Under the existing constitution, the presidential term is five years and renewable indefinitely.

Additionally, candidates for the presidency would need to be born to at least one Gabonese parent, be married to a Gabonese national, and be between the ages of 35 and 70.

A total of 848,313 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this referendum, with polling stations closing at 6:00 PM.

Counting will begin immediately after, though no specific date has been set for the official announcement of the results.