Gabon starts voting in first presidential election since 2023 coup

Libreville, April 12 (IANS) Gabonese voters went to the polls on Saturday to elect a president in its first presidential election since a coup two years ago, marking the final phase of the country's political transition and the anticipated return to constitutional order.

Polling stations have been in full swing since Saturday morning, observed Xinhua correspondents in Libreville, the country's capital.

Transitional President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who led the coup that ousted former President Ali Bongo Ondimba, is among the eight candidates contesting the presidency.

Nguema resigned from his military post in accordance with Gabon's Electoral Code to participate in the election. His main challenger is Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, former prime minister under the Bongo administration.

Other candidates include former 2023 presidential contenders Axel Stophene Ibinga Ibinga, a businessman, and Thierry Yvon Michel Ngoma, also a businessman. The only female candidate, businesswoman Zenaba Gninga Chaning, has advocated for population growth and the promotion of traditional practices such as polygamy.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, 3,037 polling stations, including 2,941 within the country and 96 abroad, will close at 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Saturday, with extensions possible under the electoral law. A total of 920,200 voters are registered, including over 28,000 overseas.

The ministry announced that all bars will be closed from 11:30 p.m. on Friday until midnight on Saturday, describing the decision as a measure to maintain public order and ensure a peaceful voting environment during this critical moment in the country's democratic process.

Gabon's new constitution, approved in a referendum in November 2024, sets a seven-year presidential term, renewable only once.

A total of 48 national and international observer missions, comprising about 2,450 observers, have been accredited to monitor the vote, Xinhua news agency reported.

Under the new electoral provisions, the president is elected through a two-round system. A candidate must secure an absolute majority of valid votes in the first round to win outright. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a runoff election will be held between the top two contenders.

--IANS

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