Page "Politics of Gabon" Paragraph 2

Under the 1961 constitution ( revised in 1975 and rewritten in 1991 ), Gabon became a republic with a presidential form of government.

The National Assembly of Gabon has 120 deputies elected for a five-year term.

The president is elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term.

The president appoints the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court.

The government in 1990 made major changes in the political system.

A transitional constitution was drafted in May as an outgrowth of a national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee.

Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights ; creation of a National Council of Democracy, which oversees the guarantee of those rights ; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues ; and an independent judiciary.

After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the president, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991.

Multi-party legislative elections were held in 1990-91 although opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.