Gabon amends constitution to reduce presidential term to five years and institute single-round election

Five months before elections, the parliament in Gabon [in a joint session on 6 April] voted to reduce the president's term from seven to five years. The vote amends the Constitution and also turns the presidential election into a single round. Sections of the opposition criticised the changes, in particular the end of two rounds of voting, as a means of "facilitating the re-election" of Ali Bongo Ondimba. [...] Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze said the outcome was the "result of a consensus after 10 days of political concertation between the majority and the opposition" in February. Several senior opposition leaders and their parties had snubbed the talks. [...] The Bongo family has ruled the country for 55 years already and is branded a "dynastic power" by the opposition. But the opposition has failed to agree on a single candidate for the presidential election, leaving some 15 candidates to announce their intentions to stand.
Read the full article here: France 24