Political History and Current Barriers in Developing a Democracy in Gabon

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Political History and Current Barriers in Developing a Democracy in Gabon

Gabon, a former French colony, gained her independence in 1960. During this time, the country has only two political parties, Union Démocratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG) and Bloc Démocratique Democratic (BDC).  Independent Gabon held its first elections through a parliamentary system in 1960. However, neither of the two parties could marshal the majority win. To solve the stalemate, leaders from BDC and UDSG agreed to work together under Leon MB'a as the prime minister. The coalition worked for a year during which they revised the constitution to have a presidential system of government. Using this system; fresh elections were held in 1961 officially electing Leon MB'a as the president of the country (Gardinier, 2018).

Leon MB'a ruled until his untimely death in 1967. He was succeeded by his vice president Omar Bongo.  In 1988, the new president made the country one-party state by dissolving the ruling party and creating the Gabonese Democratic Party (GDP). Violet clashes erupted in the country in 1990 as the citizens agitated to a multiparty system in the county. The president obliged and the country held its first multiparty elections in 1993. The opposition candidates rejected the results citing government interference in the elections process.  Since then, the country has continued to hold presidential elections every seven years. President Ali Bongo died in 2009 creating an opportunity for his son Ali Bongo to take over the country and is the current president of Gabon.

Several challenges plague the country's presidential democracy. The first challenge is poor governance. Despite being rich in natural resources, the country is one of the poorest in Africa. Poverty in the country stems from decades of poor governance.  Ever since it gained its independence in 1960, the country has only had three presidents. The first one served for only seven years. The second president, Ali Bongo presided over a kleptocratic regime that lasted over four decades. After his death in 2009, the president's son took over the power and continues his father's legacy.

The second barrier to developing a thriving democracy in Gabon is corruption. Government officials plunder the country's resources to the detriment of the citizens. Even though corruption is a major crime, the country has never prosecuted any leader for graft-related charges. Institutions like the Commission to Combat Illicit Enrichment (CNLCEI) created to tackle corruption in government have failed to stop corruption in the country. Ever since its launch in 2004, the commission has not prosecuted anyone despite the rampant corruption in the country's government.

To address these challenges; the country should adopt parliamentary democracy.  According to Magstadt (2017), this is a form of governance where the government is formed by the party that has the highest representation in parliament.  Through this form of governance, all leaders of the country will have an equal chance of becoming the country's president.  Political parties in parliamentary democracy often select the best among them for the top leadership position. The system will, therefore, solve the festering poor governance problem plaguing the country.

In a parliamentary democracy, the executive gets its powers from the legislature. They are therefore answerable to the legislature of the country. The parliament, therefore, has the powers to occasionally summon members of the executive, including the president for questioning. The parliament, therefore, helps to hold the executive accountable for their actions. Such checks will significantly reduce the level of corruption in the country. Additionally, it will ensure corrupt leaders are removed from positions of power since the parliament has the authority to impeach.

In conclusion, parliamentary democracy is the solution to the problems facing the country's political scene.  It will give all leaders regardless of the size of their tribes the opportunity to become the president. Additionally, it has checks and balances through a powerful legislature that will hold the executive to account reducing cases of corruption.