Founding of the
Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)
Constitution:
adopted 14 March
1991
Legal system:
based on French
civil law system and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age;
universal
Executive branch:
chief of
state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2
December 1967) head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois
NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime
minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be
held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba
reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 66.6%,
Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
Legislative branch:
bicameral
legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by
members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and
the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members
are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23
December 2001 (next to be held December 2006); Senate - last
held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January
2009) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3,
CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4,
ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial,
Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of
Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Circle of Liberal
Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for
Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes
OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge
DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice
Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP
[Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of
Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul
M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA];
Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social
Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union
for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS [leader NA]; Union
of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]
chief of
mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC
20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of
mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours -
74 34 92 FAX: [241] 74 55 07
Flag description:
three equal
horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue