Gabonese voters went to the polls on Saturday to elect members of Parliament as well as municipal and regional councils, marking the first legislative elections since General Brice Oligui Nguema came to power.
Over 900,000 eligible voters are casting ballots to choose 145 lawmakers from 800 candidates, and 3,078 local councilors from a field of 18,000 contenders.
The main contest pits Nguema’s Union for Democratic Builders against the long-ruling Gabonese Democratic Union, along with some 20 other political parties.
To ensure transparency, the National Electoral Commission oversaw candidate accreditation, while the government deployed about 1,500 domestic observers and welcomed a mission from the International Organization of La Francophonie.
The elections come as part of the political transition led by President Nguema, following the ouster of former president Ali Bongo Ondimba in August 2023, the adoption of a new constitution in November 2024, and Nguema’s presidential victory in April this year.
