(Reuters) – Voters in Gabon went to the polls on Saturday to resolve on a brand new structure that will pave the best way for democratic authorities after a coup ousted the Bongo dynasty final yr.
The new structure would introduce two-term limits on the presidency, get rid of the place of prime minister and acknowledge French as Gabon’s working language. The presidential time period could be set at seven years.
General Brice Oligui Nguema, the interim president who took energy in a coup final yr, is urging voters to simply accept the brand new structure, which he says embodies the junta’s dedication to charting a brand new course for the Gabon.
Military officers overthrew the federal government in August final yr. The deposed president, Ali Bongo, had dominated since 2009. His father, Omar, had dominated since 1967.
It was the eighth coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. Western powers and regional our bodies have put stress on army rulers to carry elections inside an affordable time.
(Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome and Jessica Donati)
