Gabon - April 2024

On 30 April, a national conference tasked with returning Gabon to constitutional order following the August 2023 coup delivered its recommendations on a new constitution. The Inclusive National Dialogue brought together over 600 participants from the military, civil society, religious organisations and political parties to debate the terms of the constitution. Many of the participants were selected by the transitional authorities. Among the recommendations put forward by the conference were: (1) that all political parties be suspended until the implementation of new rules governing their regulation, (2) that members of the former ruling party be barred from taking part in elections for three years (excluding them from the elections scheduled for August 2025), and (3) that a 12-month extension to the two-year transition promised by the junta be permitted in the event of an unforeseen crisis. The recommendations, which are not binding, are to be translated into a legal text and then submitted to a referendum later this year.     

Update: In a referendum held on 16 November 2024, voters approved a new constitution that omitted the three conference recommendations referenced above.  

Sources: Voice of America, Jeune Afrique, Dialogue National Inclusif, British Broadcasting Corporation, Reuters, Gabon Constitution