Commencing on April 2nd, the proceedings of this national gathering are set to conclude next Tuesday. The various commissions have begun submitting their reports to the National Dialogue Bureau, which is organizing a closed-door plenary session for this purpose. On Thursday, April 25th, it was the turn of the political commission. However, pinpointing the exact recommendations put forth by the commissioners proves challenging.
Constitutional expert Telesphore Ondo chaired the “Regime and Political Institutions” sub-commission. The members of this sub-commission endorsed the Gabonese citizens’ proposal for expanding the powers of the President of the Republic and establishing a robust Parliament.
“Gabonese citizens have suggested that executive powers should be fully vested in the President of the Republic. This entails a more presidential regime than what we have previously experienced. Furthermore, citizens have advocated for a stronger Parliament, entailing the granting of new powers to it,” explained Ondo.
Additionally, the commissioners proposed that Gabon adopt a Constitution with certain provisions, notably regarding presidential term limits, which cannot be amended at will. “They desired a rigid Constitution, thereby challenging to revise. Gabonese citizens expressed the wish for the executive, particularly the President of the Republic, to have more time to implement various economic and social programs,” added the expert.
Among the recommendations are the closure of the French military base in Gabon, the revision of defense agreements with France, and a drastic reduction in the number of new generals in the Gabonese army.