Gabon: Ruling party dominates legislative vote following the release of provisional results Feb. 1

Event

Incidents of election-related unrest remain unlikely following the publication of provisional legislative election results Feb. 1. The ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) dominated the first round of voting, winning at least 45 of the 52 available seats. A second round of voting will be held Feb. 6. Gabon's Constitutional Court is yet to confirm the vote.

Context

Senators in Gabon are elected indirectly, with municipal and department councilors choosing representatives. A recent change to Gabon's Constitution also allows President Ali Bongo to directly appoint 15 senators to the chamber. It is likely that the president will appoint members of the PDG and other supporters, further consolidating his position. The PDG's dominance of the Jan. 30 first round follows the 2018 opposition boycott of local elections; the limited number of opposition councilors has affected the opposition's ability to influence the outcome of the recent legislative poll.