uaire, Haut-Ogooue,
Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo,
Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic
Party established)

Constitution: adopted 14 March 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law;
judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the
Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
election last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held 1998); results
- President Omar BONGO was reelected with 51% of the vote
head of government: Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9
December 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held on 5
December 1993 (next to be held by 1998); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (120 total) PDG 62, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 19, PGP 18,
National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1,
independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former
sole party), Jaques ADIAHENOT, Secretary General; National Recovery
Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE,
leader; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE,
President; National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original), Pierre
ZONGUE-NGUEMA, Chairman; Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG),
leader NA; Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), leader NA; Circle for
Renewal and Progress (CRP), leader NA; Union for Democracy and
Development (UDD), leader NA; Rally of Democrats (RD), leader NA;
Forces of Change for Democratic Union, leader NA

Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS
(associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA
chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007, Suite 200
telephone: [1] (202) 797-100