Today, April 27th marks a pivotal day in Gabon’s national dialogue. Following the coup d’état on August 30, the transitional authorities have been organizing sessions throughout the month, engaging all segments of society to propose reforms across various sectors. Today, all participants will convene for the plenary session to receive the final reports.
The three commissions—political, economic, and social—will sequentially present their final reports to the approximately 670 commissioners and resource persons who participated in the national dialogue. The three documents will be adopted by acclamation.
This event will reveal the comprehensive recommendations of the dialogue. Among the ideas discussed were the expansion of the president’s powers, a strengthened Parliament, measures to complicate constitutional amendments, particularly presidential term limits, and the closure of the French military base.
Extensive Debates
These reports are the culmination of extensive debates. Initial proposals were drafted by a dozen sub-commissions, which presented their reports to the main commissions. Subsequently, these commissions defended the reports before the dialogue bureau responsible for synthesizing the outcome. “It was not easy; choices had to be made without betraying what had been achieved. Each participant had to defend, argue, and persuade. Ultimately, everything was adopted after discussion and consensus at each level,” explained Jean Bernard Asseko Mve, the dialogue’s spokesperson.
On Sunday and Monday, the bureau will finalize the formatting of the three reports for a solemn presentation to President Brice Oligui Nguema on Tuesday. “We hope to then enter into a new era,” noted Jean Bernard Asseko Mve.