Constitution of Gabon - Jean-Rémi Yama: "Oligui? You are not born a dictator, you become one"

Gabon is preparing for a decisive moment with the referendum on a new Constitution. This project is causing heated controversy and could further fracture Gabonese society. Jean-Rémy Yama, a senator of the transition and fervent opponent of the text, warns that this proposal would concentrate too much power in the hands of the future president, a drift that would endanger democracy.

A Constitution that worries

At a press conference held on October 2, 2024, Jean-Rémy Yama expressed his concerns about the excessive concentration of powers provided for in the new fundamental law. The text gives the president excessive control, particularly over the judiciary, which could encourage authoritarian excesses. For Yama, "giving too much power to a single person is an invitation to abuse" , and he points out that no one is born a dictator , but that their entourage and circumstances can make them so. What worries him most is the accumulation of the three powers in a single hand, a threat to the independence of justice according to him .

A return to the 1991 Constitution?

For Yama, the best alternative would be to return to the 1991 Constitution , a fundamental text adopted after the National Conference, which ensured a better balance of powers and stronger protection of citizens' rights. He openly criticizes the 801 amendments made to the current Constitution, which he considers insufficient to guarantee a true democracy. He therefore calls on the transitional president, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema , to withdraw this project and adopt a more consensual approach. "This project divides the Gabonese," Yama insists, insisting on the fact that leaving divided in the referendum would be harmful to national unity according to his statements .

A referendum that deeply divides

The draft Constitution, supported by the National Constitutional Council (CCN) , strongly divides public opinion, particularly around Article 53, which prevents 94% of Gabonese from accessing the Presidency. While some support the need for reform to stabilize the ongoing transition, others, like Yama, fear that this text is nothing more than a "time bomb in terms of governance" . He warns against possible manipulation of the referendum, which risks taking place in a climate of an unbalanced campaign in favor of the "yes", orchestrated by those in power. These fears of authoritarian excesses resonate all the more since the reform gives increased powers to the president, particularly in terms of judicial control, as he emphasized .

Call for consensus and vigilance

Jean-Rémy Yama does not just criticize the text; he calls for a national consensus to prevent this project from plunging the country into an even deeper political crisis. He urges General Oligui Nguema to reconsider the scope of this referendum and to avoid a new fracture in Gabonese society, already shaken by decades of political conflict.

The outcome of this referendum therefore remains uncertain. The text of the Constitution could reshape Gabon's political future or, on the contrary, accentuate divisions and set back democracy, as many observers fear.