IFES
 

Aug. 26, 2023 Held

Gabon
Gabonese Republic
Election for Assemblée Nationale (Gabonese National Assembly)


General Information

Note: Results are not available, as a coup occurred before the official results could be published by Gabonese election authorities. 

At Stake in this Election: 

  • All 143 seats of the National Assembly 

This election will occur simultaneously with presidential and departmental and municipal council elections. 

Government Structure:  

  • Chief of State: President Ali BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009) 

  • Head of Government: Prime Minister Alain Claude BILIE-BY-NZE (since 9 January 2023) 

  • Assembly: bicameral Parliament (Parlement) with a 67-seat Senate (Senat) and a 143-seat National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) 

Electoral System:  

  • The President is directly elected by plurality vote and may serve an unlimited number of 5-year terms. 

  • The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. 

  • Within the Senate, 15 members are appointed by the President, and 52 members are indirectly elected by municipal and departmental legislative bodies. Senators serve 5-year terms. 

  • Within the National Assembly, all members are directly elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies and serve 5-year terms. 

Last Election: 

In 2018, the PDG won a majority of seats (98) in the National Assembly. The remaining seats were won by 11 parties and 8 independents.  

New/Unique in this Election: 

In 2023, Parliament passed a constitutional amendment that fixed presidential, parliamentary, and subnational council terms at five years, thus synchronizing their elections. Parliament also approved a change to the electoral code that reduced the number of election observers to 3 per polling station: 1 each to be named by majority party, the opposition, and independent candidates. 

Key Deadlines: 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

  • Gabonese Democratic Party / Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) 

  • Seats won in last election: 98 out of 143 

  • The Democrats/ Les Démocrates (LD) 

  • Seats won in last election: 11 out of 143 

  • Restoration of Republican Values / Restauration des Valeurs Républicaines (RV) 

  • Seats won in last election: 8 out of 143 

  • Social Democrats of Gabon / Sociaux-Démocrates du Gabon 

    • Seats won in last election: 5 out of 143 

  • Independent candidates 

    • Seats won in last election: 8 out of 143 

  • Legacy and Modernity Rally / Rassemblement de l'Héritage et de la Modernité (RH&M) 

    • Seats won in last election: 4 out of 143 

  • National Union / Union Nationale (UN) 

  • Seats won in last election: 2 out of 143 

  • Social Democratic Party / Parti Social-Démocrate (PSD) 

  • Seats won in last election: 2 out of 143 

  • Union for the New Republic / Union pour la nouvelle République (UPNR) 

  • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 143 

  • Circle of Liberal Reformers / Cercle des Libéraux Réformateurs (CLR) 

  • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 143 

  • Union for Democracy and Social Integration - Gabonese Democratic Party / Union pour la Démocratie et l'Intégration Sociale - Parti Démocratique Gabonais (UDIS-PDG):  1 

  • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 143 

  • RV-CEO 

  • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 143 

  • New Democracy / Nouvelle Démocratie 

  • Seats won in last election: 1 out of 143 

Population and Registered Voters: 

Gender Data: 

  • Female Population: 1,158,149 (2023 est.) 

  • CEDAW Status: Signed 17 July 1980, Ratified 21 January 1983 

  • Gender Quota:  At least 30% of candidates on party lists for National Assembly elections must be women. 

  • Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

  • Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 16 out of 67 (23.9%) in the Senate, 21 out of 143 (14.7%) in the National Assembly 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Signed 30 March 2007, Ratified 1 October 2007  

IFES Resources: 

  • Does IFES have a presence in Gabon: No  

  • Election Access: Yes 

  • Election Judgements: Yes; 4 resources 

Election Modified: Sep 11, 2023

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