At stake in this election:

• 120 seats in the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ali Ben BONGO Ondimba
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Paul BIYOGHE MBA
• Assembly: Gabon has a bicameral Parliament (Parlement) consisting of the Senate (Sénat) with 91 seats and the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) with 120 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 7-year term.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• In the Senate (Sénat) 91 members are elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve 5-year terms*. In the National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale), 111 members are elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 9 members are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms.**

* One member is elected by the regional assembly from each constituency. Most sources report that the election is by plurality.

** According to the electoral law, seats are apportioned to each province or department in proportion to population. The manner of election is fixed by law. Various sources report that 111 members are elected from single-member districts by plurality or two-round majority, and that 9 members are appointed by the President.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Gabonese Democratic Party / Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG)
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 115
• Party: Rally for Gabon / Rassemblement pour le Gabon (RPG)
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 3
• Party: Circle of Liberal Reformers / Cercle des Libéraux Réformateurs
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 1
• Party: Social Democratic Party / Parti Social-Démocrate (PSD)
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 1
• Party: Union for the New Republic / Union pour la nouvelle République
  • Seats won in this National Assembly election: 1

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 1,577,298 (2011)
• Registered Voters: 745,645 (December 2011)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 781,111 (2011)

·         Is Gabon a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Gabon ratified CEDAW: Yes (21 January 1983)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 15 (National Assembly) following 2011 elections; 18 (Senate) following 2009 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 110 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Gabon a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Gabon ratified CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Population with a disability: 236,594 (est.)