Gabon court validate yes vote on new constitution

Gabon’s constitutional court on Friday definitely validated a referendum vote overwhelmingly approving a new constitution, paving the way for a presidential election set for next August.

The vote two weeks ago, 15 months on from a military coup, saw nearly 92 percent of participants vote in favour and the court approved the outcome.

“The court made various rectifications of material errors, adjustments deemed necessary,” said court president Dieudonné Awa’a Owono.

But “no appeal relating to the regularity of the referendum operations has been received at the Constitutional Court registry,” said Owono.

The court could therefore proclaim the overall result of 91.64 percent “yes” votes, he said, detailing the results by province.

Gabon’s military rulers had already announced the approval of the new constitution based on provisional results.

The court revised down the score from an initially declared 91.8 percent in favour and likewise revised down slightly the number of registered voters.

It also revised turnout slightly upwards to 54.18 percent.

Transitional president General Brice Oligui Nguema had hailed the vote as a “historic moment” for the country.

It came more than a year after the ruling junta staged a coup to end 55 years of rule by the Bongo family.

Oligui Nguema has vowed to hand power back to civilians, but has also made no secret of his desire to win the presidential race in the oil-rich but heavily indebted country.

The 173 articles of the new constitution, based on a national dialogue earlier this year, include a seven-year mandate renewable only once, a presidential regime with strong executive power and without a prime minister and a ban on dynastic transmissions of power.

Another article establishes a “liberation celebration”, enshrining the junta’s ending of the old regime.

A further article exempts from prosecution and conviction “those involved in events” leading up the junta coming to power.

During the election, there were no major incidents reported by a network of observers made up of local associations, which were backed by the United Nations.

AFP