Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Alix-Ida Mussavu
Published on 2024-03-11 11:00:20
In Gabon, where the character of the Constitution is considered ephemeral due to the numerous modifications and revisions of this fundamental law, the Union of Forces for Change (UFC), which will participate in the National Dialogue next April, proposes the revision of the law that will be adopted at the end of the discussions, 50 years later. This would be done through a referendum to avoid past mistakes.
In April 2024 in Gabon, the authorities of the Transition will convene a National Dialogue with a little over 38,000 contributions already registered, including those from political parties. Among the political parties that have made contributions, the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) intends to participate in this meeting which will lead to the adoption of a new Constitution. The country’s fundamental law is currently the focus of attention of this political group, as with just over ten revisions and modifications, its character is considered ephemeral and especially seen as a “technique of presidential domination,” leading to several mistakes.
The UFC therefore proposes that “the first modification of the Constitution resulting from the Dialogue only be made 50 years after its adoption through a referendum to avoid past mistakes.” Some may see this as wishful thinking, but the political group led by Joachim Mbatchi Pambou intends to defend this position for the good of the Gabonese nation.
Exhaustively, this political party also proposes, in addition to this revision after half a century, a presidential term of 7 years renewable once. A presidential regime, they say, to “allow the President of the Republic to have the levers of governance,” a bicameral Parliament by including the principle of subsidiarity in the preamble of the Constitution.
“That is, demanding that the State apply decentralization to bring well-being throughout all of Gabon,” declared Joachim Mbatchi Pambou, whose party also proposes the separation of powers so that the President of the Republic is no longer the president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary.
The UFC also advocates for a modification of the electoral boundaries taking into account the demographics of the territories, and wishes for the First Lady of the Republic to be an institution regulated by law. Finally, this political group suggests that “the military be an intermediary power with the additional mission of ensuring the transfer of power through democratic means.”
Read the original article(French) on Gabon Review
