The work of the National Assembly has come to an abrupt end in Gabon as the nation’s Constitutional Court ordered its dissolution on Monday.
In a statement read out by the court’s president, Marie Magdeleine Mborantsuo stipulating the termination of the mandate of all legislators in the Parliament’s lower chamber. Citing the government’s inability to organize elections before their tenure expires.
The responsibility to appoint a new Prime Minister, head-of-government to manage the day-to-day running of the country’s affairs, falls on the shoulders of President Ali Bongo. Until such an appointment is made, the Senate-upper chamber has been delegated to exercise the duty of the dissolved lower chamber.
Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, now the former Prime Minister has accepted the court’s decision and has pledged to respect its ruling.
Speaking a while later after the ruling on national television, Issoze-Ngondet said ”the decisions of the Constitutional Court are not to be commented on. They are to be applied”.
The National Assembly president, Richard August Onouviet has also vowed to accept the court’s ruling.
Though no known date for fresh elections has been said, despite the numerous calls to organize the votes, it was only last Friday that a multi-party committee decided to appoint an electoral commission. The Bongo-led government had failed to organize parliamentary elections before April runs out.
After his narrow win during 2016 presidential election, President Bongo appointed Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet as the Prime Minister. His victory was disputed by his opposing contender Jean Ping for election irregularities and fraud. Plunging the country through a short period of post-election violence.
Neba Benson,
BaretaNews Foreign Corrrespondent/Analyst
