Gabon votes yes to new constitution, says interior minister

Gabonese voters approved a new constitution by a landslide 91.8%, the interior minister said on Sunday, after a referendum that the junta in power promised would be a steppingstone to democratic rule.

Speaking on state television, Minister Hermann Immongault said turnout was an estimated 53.5%.

General Brice Oligui Nguema, who is interim president, has touted Saturday's vote as a sign of the government's commitment to a democratic transition, tentatively scheduled for summer 2025.

Military officers seized power in a coup in August last year. The Gabonese largely welcomed the ouster of President Ali Bongo. His family's poor management of the central African country's oil wealth had led to a stagnant economy and a third of the population living in poverty.

The proposed new constitution introduces a two-term limit on the presidency, each lasting seven years. It removes the position of prime minister and recognises French as Gabon's working language.

The draft does not bar Nguema from running for the presidency, raising concern for some commentators about the junta's ambitions.