In Gabon, party reform threatens to “stifle pluralist expression”

Adopted in its first reading by the Transitional National Assembly, the new legislation on political parties in Gabon imposes strict conditions for the legal existence of a political party. Among the most notable: the requirement to have 12,000 members with a personal identification number (PIN).

For MP Jean Valentin Leyama, this requirement is of unprecedented severity: “To gather 12,000 signatures, you need a lot of resources,” he stressed in Gabon Review . The elected official questions the ability of parties to meet this criterion, with the exception of those “backed by the power and financed directly or indirectly by this power”, such as the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which long dominated the country's political life until the overthrow of re-elected President Ali Bongo in 2023. At the beginning of May, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was sworn in as president after his large victory in the presidential election.

Leyama is also concerned about the consequences of this reform, which could lead to "the disappearance from the country's political landscape" of historic parties that contributed to Gabon's democratization. He cites in particular the Gabonese Progress Party (PGP) of the late Agondjo Okawé and the Congress for Democracy and Justice (CDJ) of the late Ogouliguendé. "This is serious," he warns, fearing the loss of an entire "political heritage."

As Gabon Media Time explains , this law is part of the post-coup d'état context of August 30, 2023, following which several institutional reforms were initiated. Led by ministers François Ndong Obiang and Hermann Immongault, the law aims to "regulate, structure and modernize the political scene." However, the media warns: "By wanting to regulate too much, there is a great risk of stifling pluralist expression, the foundation of any living democracy."

In addition to the 12,000-member threshold, parties must now meet a series of additional requirements: mandatory headquarters, regular statutory bodies, an active bank account, and participation in at least two successive elections, under penalty of dissolution. The text also provides for the possible suspension of a party in the event of a public disorder disturbance, as well as increased financial oversight by the Court of Auditors.

These measures, although justifiable in the name of transparency, according to Gabon Media Time, could become, some observers fear, levers of discipline in a context still marked by the concentration of power.

Another article from Gabon Review recalls that “political parties are neither institutions of the Republic nor instruments for exercising power,” but rather tools for citizen identification and democratic participation. Their scarcity, concludes the media, could lead to “a drastic reduction in political pluralism” and a dangerous “sluggishness of public debate.”