Government & politics — Gabon
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Gabon: Gabonese Republic
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Gabonese Republic
- Country Name
Gabon
- Local - Long
Republique Gabonaise
- Local - Short
Gabon
- Etymology- history of name
Name originates from the Portuguese word "gabao" meaning "cloak," which is roughly the shape that the early explorers gave to the estuary of the Komo River by the capital of Libreville
- Independence
17 August 1960 (from France)
- National Holiday
Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Political system
- Government Type
Presidential republic
- Constitution
- History: Previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991,
- promulgated 26 March 1991 Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the Council of Ministers, or by one third of either house of Parliament; passage requires Constitutional Court evaluation, at least two-thirds majority vote of two thirds of the Parliament membership convened in joint session, and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on Gabon’s democratic form of government cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2023 (presidential term reduced to 5 years and election reduced to a single vote)
- Legal System:
Mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: Presid
- cabinet appointed by president election/appointment process: the president directly elected by plurality vot
- e to a 7-year term (no term limits) most recent election date: 12
- April 2025 election results: 2025: Brice OLIGUI Nguema elected president; percent of vote - Brice OLIGUI Nguema (Ind.) 90.35%, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze (EPG) 3.02%, other 6.63% 2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%
- Legislative Branch:
Description
- Transitional Parliament (formerly the bicameral Parliament) consists of: Senate (70 seats; members appointed by Transitional president; member term NA)
- National Assembly (98 seats; members appointed by the Transitional president; member term NA)
Note
all members represent legally recognized political parties or leading political figures, civil society, and defense and security forces
Elections
- on 11 September 2023, Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema appointed 168 members to the Transitional Parliament
- elections for a permanent legislature reportedly to follow 2-year transition;
Note
the military government announced on 13 November 2023 that presidential and legislative elections will be held in August 2025
Election Results
All members of the Transitional Parliament appointed by the Transitional president
- Judicial Branch:
- Highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by e
- xecutive branch officials) Judge selection and term of office: Appointment and tenure of Supreme, Administrative, Accounting, and State Security courts NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly;
- judges serve single renewable 7-year terms Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts
- Regions or States:
Summary
9 provinces
Regions or States
- Estuaire
- Haut-Ogooue
- Moyen-Ogooue
- Ngounie
- Nyanga
- Ogooue-Ivindo
- Ogooue-Lolo
- Ogooue-Maritime
- Woleu-Ntem
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba]
- Restoration of Republican Values or RV The Democrats or LD [Guy NZOUBA-NDAMA]
- Paul Mba Abessole
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
- No Citizenship by descent only: At least one
- No Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Libreville
- Capital - geographic coordinate
0 23 N, 9 27 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
Chief of Mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Ellen B. THORBURN (since 27 October 2022); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe Embassy: Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville Mailing address: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
Telephone
[241] 011-45-71-00
FAX
[241] 011-45-71-05
Email address and website
- ACSLibreville@state.gov
- https://ga.usembassy.gov/
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
Chief of Mission
Ambassador Noel Nelson MESSONE (12 December 2022)
Chancery
2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009
Telephone
[1] (202) 797-1000
FAX
[1] (301) 332-0668
Email address and website
- info@gaboneembassyusa.org
- https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/