In Gabon, a draft constitution was adopted by the government last week. The main modification, generally commented, consists in the establishment of an interim provided by three personalities in the event of a leave of absence. The presence of the Minister of Defense, together with the Presidents of the two chambers of Parliament, in this new unit raises many questions.
as reported from Libreville, Yves-Laurent Goma
“A triumvirate to ensure the interim administration of the President of the Republic in the event of a vacancy, Gabon Média Time, one of the country’s most important online media, warns. “The biggest common denominator”, for its part, is the headline of the daily Gabonese Review, which claims that by “defending the minister in any place”, he drafted the constitution “as an expression of a will to retain power, including the use of force”.
For its part, the newspaper Gabon Actu.com reiterates the concerns of former President of the National Assembly Guy Nzouba Ndama who is curious to note that a “defense minister reaches the top of the state along with two parliamentary presidents … What hides this little calculation that sets the prime minister aside? Asks Guy Nzouba-Ndama. Gabon Actu.com also shares the analysis of the international organization Let’s Turn the Page which points to a “militarization of the executive branch materialized by the rise of the defense minister to the rank of interim president of the republic”.
The interim move of the President of the Republic with three is “a finding that shows that post-Ali Bongo is strongly regarded in the highest decision-making circles in the country”, points for his part Info 241, an online medium. The national daily L’Unionse, for its part, is limiting the new expected changes of the new constitution if it is assumed as it is.
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