Vice President of Gabon

Vice President of the
Gabonese Republic
Vice-président de la
République gabonaise
Coat of arms of Gabon
since 11 September 2023
AppointerPresident of Gabon
FormationFebruary 1961
First holderPaul-Marie Yembit
Politics of Gabon
Constitution
Government
Parliament
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations

The vice president of Gabon (French: Vice-président du Gabon) is a political position in Gabon. The vice president's role is to assist the president and the person serving as vice president has no interim role in the event of a power vacuum.

Joseph Owondault Berre is the current transitional vice president appointed by transitional president Brice Oligui Nguema after the 2023 coup d'état.[1]

History of the office

Original office

Changes in the Constitution of 1966 made the vice president the automatic successor of the president in case of a vacancy in the latter office.[2] Albert-Bernard Bongo was appointed as vice president in 1966 with the expectation that he would constitutionally succeed the ailing president Leon M'ba, and he did so following M'ba's death in November 1967. In April 1975 the position of vice president was abolished and its functions were given to the Prime Minister.[2]

Restored office

The position of vice president was restored in 1997 as a position appointed by the president of Gabon. The vice president acted as the president's deputy, but was not the constitutional successor of the president in the event of a vacancy in the latter office. President Ali Bongo abolished the office in October 2009.[2]

Description of the office

The president of the republic is assisted by a vice president of the republic.[3]

The vice president of the republic is nominated by the president of the republic, who can terminate his or her duties, after the consultation of the presidents of the two chambers of Parliament of Gabon. The vice president of the republic may be chosen from the members of Parliament, or outside the legislature.[3]

The functions of the vice president of the republic are incompatible with the exercise of all other public and private functions of a lucrative character.[4]

The vice president of the republic takes the oath of office before the president of the republic and in the presence of the Constitutional Court, according to the terms below:[5]

I promise to respect the Constitution and the State of Law, to fill conscientiously the duties of my position in the strictest respect of the obligation of loyalty and confidentiality to the Chief of State.

The vice president of the republic stands in for the president of the republic in the duties that the president delegates to him.[6]

The manner in which the present article may be applied is fixed by an organic law.[6]

The functions of the vice president of the republic end at the issuing of the proclamation of the next presidential election results by the Constitutional Court and in the case of a vacancy in the presidential office for whatever reason, or a permanent impairment of the current president of the republic.[7]

The vice president of the republic is a member of the Council of Ministers by right. If appropriate, the vice president may substitute the president of the republic through express authorization and a defined order of business.[8]

List of officeholders

Political parties
  Gabonese Democratic Bloc (BDG) → Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG)
  Democratic and Republican Alliance (ADERE)
  Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Other factions
  Independent
Status
  Denotes acting or transitional vice president
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party President(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Paul-Marie Yembit
(1917–1978) 		February 1961 November 1966 5 years, 9 months BDG M'ba
2 Albert-Bernard Bongo
(1935–2009)[9] 		November 1966 November 1967 1 year BDG M'ba
3 Léon Mébiame
(1934–2015) 		1968 April 1975 7 years PDG O. Bongo
Post abolished (April 1975–May 1997)
4 Didjob Divungi Di Ndinge
(born 1946) 		May 1997 October 2009 12 years, 5 months ADERE O. Bongo
Himself
Rogombé
Post abolished (October 2009–August 2017)
5 Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou
(born 1952) 		21 August 2017[10] 21 May 2019 1 year, 273 days PSD A. Bongo
Post abolished (21 May 2019–9 January 2023)
6 Rose Christiane Raponda[11][12]
(born 1963) 		9 January 2023 30 August 2023
(Deposed in a coup) 		233 days PDG A. Bongo
— Joseph Owondault Berre[13]
(born 1945) 		11 September 2023 Incumbent 1 year, 79 days Independent Oligui

Timeline

Joseph Owondault BerreRose Christiane RapondaPierre Claver Maganga MoussavouDidjob Divungi Di NdingeLéon MébiameOmar BongoPaul-Marie Yembit

See also

References

  1. ^ "Gabon: Joseph Owondault Berre nommé vice-président de la transition". ACP (in French). 12 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c US Department of State
  3. ^ a b Article 14a of the Constitution of 1991.
  4. ^ Article 14b of the Constitution of 1991.
  5. ^ Article 14c of the Constitution of 1991.
  6. ^ a b Article 14d of the Constitution of 1991.
  7. ^ Article 14e of the Constitution of 1991.
  8. ^ Article 16 of the Constitution of 1991.
  9. ^ Africa News Update Archived December 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Mathieu Olivier, "Gabon : le nouveau gouvernement a été nommé, Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou vice-président", Jeune Afrique, 22 August 2017 (in French).
  11. ^ "Gabon: Rose Christian Ossouka Raponda named first-ever female VP". 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Gabon Names Vice-President and New Prime Minister". 9 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Gabon: Joseph Owondault Berre nommé vice-président de la transition". ACP (in French). 12 September 2023.