Gabon Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Gabonese Republic

Type- republic; one-party presidential regime since 1964

Capital: Libreville

Political subdivisions: nine provinces subdivided into 36 prefectures

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; constitution adopted 1961; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; legal education at Center of Higher and Legal Studies at Libreville; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

National holidays: Renovation Day, 12 March; Independence Day, 17 August; ma jor Islamic and Christian holiday s

Branches: power centralized in President, elected by universal suffrage for seven-year term; unicameral legislature (93-member National Assembly, including nine members chosen by Omar Bongo) has limited powers; constitution amended in 1979 so that Assembly deputies will serve five-year terms; inde-I>endent judiciary

Government leader-El Hadj Omar BONGO, President (since December 1967)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: presidential election last held December 1979, next scheduled for 1986; parliamentary election last held February 1980, next scheduled for 1985; constitutional change separates dates for presidential and parliamentary elections

Political parties and leaders: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) led by President Bongo is only legal party

Communists: no organized party; probably some Communist sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, African Wood Organization, Conference of East and Central African States, BDECA (Central African Development Bank), EAMA, E1B (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 1CCO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, 1PU, ITU, NAM, OAU, O1C, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Gabon on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Gabon 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Gabon 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.