Gabon’s ruling military junta has proposed a new constitution that designates a national holiday celebrating the end of the long-standing Bongo dynasty.

This proposal was revealed in local media on Tuesday, following the transitional government’s publication of the draft text, which was approved by the Council of Ministers last week.

A national referendum on the new constitution is scheduled for November 16.

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The draft includes a provision for a “national liberation day” to be observed annually on August 30, commemorating the ousting of Ali Bongo Ondimba and the conclusion of the Bongo family’s 55-year rule.

Bongo was removed from power on August 30 last year, just an hour after the announcement of his third-term election win, which was contested by a military coup led by General Brice Oligui Nguema.

The junta accused Bongo of rigging the election.

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The proposed constitution introduces several key changes, including the elimination of the prime minister’s role and the establishment of a seven-year presidential term, which can be renewed only once.

It also enforces a limit of two consecutive terms for the presidency and calls for elections by direct universal suffrage.

Transitional President Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the coup, has promised a return to civilian rule in the oil-rich West African nation and has hinted at his intention to run in the presidential election set for August 2025.

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In a statement on social media platform X, Oligui encouraged citizens to carefully review the proposed constitution, which he described as a product of national consultations.

Additional amendments include a redefinition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman and more stringent criteria for presidential candidates.

Aspiring candidates must have at least one Gabonese-born parent, cannot hold any other nationality, and must be married to a Gabonese national.

These conditions, according to local media Gabon Review, draw a clear distinction between native Gabonese and those who are naturalized or hold dual citizenship, effectively excluding the latter from running for the presidency.

..As Harris, Trump Target Key Swing States

With just two weeks remaining before the US presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are intensifying their campaigns in critical battleground states, where the race remains closely contested.

On Monday, Harris, the Democratic candidate, visited three crucial “blue wall” states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—which have a history of voting Democratic and played a significant role in the victories of the last two Democratic presidents.

Meanwhile, Trump, the Republican nominee, made campaign stops in Asheville, North Carolina, expressing concern that the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene could impact voter turnout in a race that surveys suggest is increasingly competitive.

Polls Show Tight Contest as Election Nears

According to a new survey published by The Washington Post on Monday, Harris and Trump are running neck-and-neck across seven key battleground states, which will be decisive in the outcome of the election.

The poll, conducted by The Washington Post and Schar School, involved over 5,000 registered voters in early October.

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It revealed that 47 percent of voters support each candidate.

Among likely voters, Harris holds a slight edge with 49 percent backing her compared to 48 percent for Trump.

Trump recently saw a minor increase in his average in the aggregation of polls calculated by FiveThirtyEight, putting him narrowly ahead of Harris, though the difference remains within the margin of error, making it a statistical tie.

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FiveThirtyEight’s election tracker, as of October 21, shows Harris leading in national polls by a 1.8 percentage-point margin over Trump.

In key states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada—accounting for 51 Electoral College votes, the candidates are virtually tied, with less than half a percentage point separating them.

A victory in all four states would almost certainly secure the presidency for either candidate.

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Harris’s Campaign Focus

On October 21, Harris made a campaign stop in Malvern, Pennsylvania, alongside former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Speaking under a banner that read “Country Over Party,” Cheney urged disenchanted Republicans to support Harris instead of Trump.

The endorsement from Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is one of the most notable Republican endorsements Harris has received.

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In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized Cheney, calling her “dumb as a rock” and labeling her a “war hawk.”

Despite the backlash, Cheney stood by her decision, emphasizing that Harris represents a candidate who has remained loyal to the US Constitution—a principle she described as the “most conservative” for Republicans.

“You have a choice in this election between someone who has shown loyalty to the Constitution and who will continue to do so, and Donald Trump,” Cheney said, clarifying her stance in supporting Harris.