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Article: Constitutional referendum: Stalinist scores, fanciful participation, absence of election night… when the election turns into a farce

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Gabon 2025
démocratie

Constitutional referendum: Stalinist scores, fanciful participation, absence of election night… when the election turns into a farce

Yesterday, Gabonese people were supposed to go to the polls to vote in the constitutional referendum. But what was supposed to be a democratic exercise that would change the future of the country turned into a parody of an election, giving way to a deep wave of skepticism and discontent that was palpable that very evening. Between blatant manipulations and questionable organization, this election could well go down in history as one of the most controversial in the country, if not the continent.


Unprecedented opacity


First, there is the complete absence of credible media coverage. Unlike previous elections, where television studios and election nights allowed citizens to follow the results, this time the silence was deafening. Silence. No debates, no exit polls, not even official explanations of the methodology used to count the votes.


The final blow? The Gabon24 channel, under the leadership of Laetitia Ngalibika, very “close” to President Oligui, announced a turnout of 71% as of 5 p.m., well before the polls closed. Without counting or credible polls, on what data was this estimate based, taken up by everyone? Total mystery.


Statistically impossible results


If lack of transparency is one thing, the numbers being announced are downright laughable. Several town and village polling stations, particularly in Haut-Ogoué but also elsewhere, even below – are showing turnout AND “yes” rates reaching 100%. Seriously, 100%, out of several hundred votes? This figure is improbable in any scenario, and in the Gabonese context, it is downright absurd.


Add to this the deserted polling stations, documented by photos posted on social media throughout the day as former Prime Minister Billie By Nzé pointed out. This defies logic and widens the divide between the government, the government media, and the already deeply distrustful population.


A diaspora where no wins


Surprisingly, where the Republican Guard and the CTRI troops have no influence, that is to say in the democratic countries where the Gabonese diaspora lives, the results are quite different, and correspond almost perfectly to those of the Opinion Way poll released this week and censored by the government. In France, for example, it was the "No" that won with more than 51% of the vote. A far cry from the Stalinist scores we are served in Gabon.


A Collapsed Transition

Ironically, these are the very practices that the military junta promised to eliminate after ousting Ali Bongo. By holding such a chaotic referendum with such implausible results, the transitional authorities have shown that they are little better than the previous regime.


We must not forget that this constitution promises a hyper-presidential regime, with the abolition of the post of prime minister, a return to a seven-year term and a concentration of powers that exceeds that of the Bongo era.
The Gabonese people feel betrayed, and rightly so. This referendum was supposed to lay the foundations for transparent and inclusive governance, but it only confirms the worst fears: a democratic transition diverted for authoritarian or even dictatorial ends. Gabon has not come out of it stronger.

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