Gabon Government

Who is the president of Gabon?

Executive Branch:

chief of state: President Ali BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009)

head of government: Prime Minister Julien NKOGHE BEKALE (since 15 January 2019)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 August 2016 (next to be held in August 2023); prime minister appointed by the president

election results: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

Citizenship Criteria:

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Legal System:

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Legislative Branch:

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:

Senate or Senat (102 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal councils and departmental assemblies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms)

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (143 seats; members elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

Senate - last held on 13 December 2014 (next to be held in January 2020)

National Assembly - held in 2 rounds on 6 and 27 October 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

election results:

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 81, CLR 7, PSD 2, ADERE-UPG 1, UPG 1, PGCI 1, independent 7; composition - men 84, women 18, percent of women 17.6%

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 98, The Democrats or LD 11, RV 8, Social Democrats of Gabon 5, RH&M 4, other 9, independent 8; composition - men 123, women 20, percent of women 14%; note - total Parliament percent of women 15.5%

Judicial Branch:

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle - and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by executive branch officials)

judge selection and term of office: appointment and tenure of Supreme, Administrative, Accounting, and State Security courts NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve 7-year, single renewable terms

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts

Regions or States:

9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Political Parties and Leaders:

Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean-Boniface ASSELE]

Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [DIDJOB Divungui di Ndinge]

Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba]

Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA]

Rally for Gabon or RPG

Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]

Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA]

Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Richard MOULOMBA]

Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Jean PING]

International Law Organization Participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-ADAMO (since September 9, 2011)

chancery: 2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000

FAX: [1] (301) 332-0668

Diplomatic Representation from US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Joel DANIES (since 22 MARCH 2018); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville

mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270

telephone: [241] 01-45-71-00

FAX: [241] 01-74-55-07