Demanded loudly, the draft constitution which will be submitted to the referendum on November 16 was distributed on social networks with a covering letter from Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima.
The text totals 173 articles. One of the articles to read and reread is article 43 which sets the eligibility criteria which sparked controversy after the publication of the initial version. Here is the entire article:
Article 43 :
All Gabonese people of both sexes meeting the following conditions are eligible for the Presidency of the Republic:
- be born Gabonese to at least one Gabonese parent, himself born Gabonese;
- have unique and exclusive Gabon“>Gabonese nationality;
- be at least 35 years old and no more than 70 years old;
- be married to a Gabonese born to at least one Gabonese parent, themselves born Gabonese;
- have resided in Gabon for at least 3 years without interruption before the presidential election;
- speak at least one national language;
- enjoy a complete state of physical and mental well-being duly certified by a medical college which takes an oath before the Constitutional Court. This medical college is designated by the Bureaux of the two Houses of Parliament;
- enjoy their civil and political rights.
Any Gabonese with another nationality can stand as a candidate provided they have renounced it three (3) years before the election.
The spouse and descendants of a President of the Republic cannot be candidates for his succession.
If in the month preceding the first round of voting, the Constitutional Court, seized under the conditions provided for by law, notes the death or incapacity of a candidate, it pronounces the postponement of the election.
The Constitutional Court may extend the deadlines provided for, in accordance with Article 44 below, without the postponement of the election exceeding the expiration date of the mandate of the President in office.
The terms of application of this article are established by an organic law.
Article 42 :
The President of the Republic is elected for seven (07) years by direct universal suffrage. He is re-electable only once.
No one can exercise more than two successive mandates, regardless of possible revisions to the Constitution.
The election of the President of the Republic takes place by first-past-the-post majority vote in two rounds.
The President of the Republic is elected by an absolute majority of votes cast. If this is not obtained in the first round of voting, a second round is held on the fourteenth day following the announcement of the results.
Only the two candidates who received the greatest number of votes in the first round can stand in the second round of voting.
In the event of withdrawal or permanent incapacity of one of the two candidates who came first in the first round, they are replaced by the candidate who follows them in the order of ranking of the results of the first round of voting.
The candidate having received the greatest number of votes is declared elected in the second round.
Read the entire draft constitution by clicking on the following link:
Gabonactu.com
2024-10-21 18:55:00
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