---
title: "Gabon votes yes to new constitution, says interior minister"
description: "LIBREVILLE, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Gabonese voters approved a new constitution by a landslide 91.8%, the interior minister said on Sunday, after a referendum that the junta in power promised would be a steppingstone to democratic rule."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-18-gabon-votes-yes-to-new-constitution-says-interior-minister/"
published: "2024-11-18T04:56:45"
updated: "2024-11-18T04:56:47"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 153
---

# Gabon votes yes to new constitution, says interior minister

> LIBREVILLE, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Gabonese voters approved a new constitution by a landslide 91.8%, the interior minister said on Sunday, after a referendum that the junta in power promised would be a steppingstone to democratic rule.

By Reuters · Published 18 November 2024, 06:56 SAST · Updated 18 November 2024, 06:56 SAST

## Key points
- In a dazzling display of democratic theatrics, Gabon's interim president, General Brice Oligui Nguema, proudly announces a 53.5% voter turnout for a new constitution that promises term limits—while conveniently leaving the door wide open for his own presidential ambitions.
- Minister Hermann Immongault reports a voter turnout of 53.5% in Gabon's recent elections.
- Interim President Brice Oligui Nguema claims the vote signals a commitment to a democratic transition by summer 2025.
- The military coup in August 2022 was largely welcomed due to discontent with the previous regime's management of oil wealth.
- A proposed new constitution introduces a two-term limit for the presidency but does not prevent Nguema from running, raising concerns about the junta's intentions.

## Content

Speaking on state television, Minister Hermann Immongault said turnout was an estimated 53.5%.

General Brice Oligui Nguema, who is interim president, has touted Saturday's vote as a sign of the government's commitment to a democratic transition, tentatively scheduled for summer 2025.

Military officers seized power in a [coup](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3AB4B6&linkedFromStory=true) in August last year. The Gabonese largely welcomed the ouster of President Ali Bongo. His family's poor management of the central African country's oil wealth had led to a stagnant economy and a third of the population living in poverty.

The proposed new constitution introduces a two-term limit on the presidency, each lasting seven years. It removes the position of prime minister and recognises French as Gabon's working language.

The draft does not bar Nguema from running for the presidency, raising concern for some commentators about the junta's ambitions.

(Reporting by Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Cynthia Osterman)