Who runs local government in Gabon?
After the August 2023 military takeover, Gabon adopted a new constitution by referendum in November 2024 (promulgated 19 December 2024). It keeps communes and departments as self-governing local authorities with elected councils. Councils that had been run by appointed 'special delegations' after the coup were re-elected on 27 September 2025. Provinces remain state units under appointed governors, and village and neighbourhood chiefs act as relays of the administration.
Gabonese Republic · Unitary presidential republic · Central Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Provinces (9) | Governor appointed by the president | State administration and coordination; not a self-governing tier. |
| Departments | Departmental council directly elected (single-round list vote, last 27 September 2025); prefect appointed by the state | Rural local government and development. |
| Communes | Municipal council directly elected (27 September 2025); councillors elect the mayor | Urban services; Libreville and other towns are divided into arrondissements. |
| Cantons, villages and neighbourhoods | Canton, village and neighbourhood chiefs, recognised by the administration | Local relays of the state; minor dispute settlement. |
Three questions about local power in Gabon
Are local leaders elected?
Departmental and municipal councillors are elected by list vote; mayors are elected by councillors; senators are elected by local councillors. Governors and prefects are appointed. Chiefs are chosen locally and recognised by the state.
Which laws set up local government?
Title VIII of the 2024 constitution guarantees that local authorities (notably communes and departments) govern themselves freely through elected councils, with resources matching any powers transferred. Customary roles exist by custom and administrative practice.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Councils answer to voters; the state supervises through governors and prefects; disputes over powers between levels go to the courts named in the constitution. Between 2023 and 2025, appointed special delegations ran councils without any electoral check.
Traditional and customary authority
The 2024 constitution leaves it to the law to say how traditions and customs are recorded, codified and brought into line with the constitution. There is no constitutional chamber of chiefs. Chiefs of cantons, villages and neighbourhoods are part of the territorial administration's lower levels, and clan elders and lineage heads remain important in marriage (including bride-price), inheritance and some land matters. Initiation societies such as Bwiti are culturally important.
Community and neighbourhood power
Neighbourhood associations, village development associations, churches and women's and youth groups. Representatives of Indigenous peoples, chosen by their peers, are among those the new constitution lists as members of on the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council.
Points to know
- The 2024 constitution abolished the post of prime minister and greatly strengthened the presidency.
- The constitution requires that any transfer of powers to local authorities comes with equivalent money, and it creates an annual special grant for local development.
- The September 2025 local elections used a one-round proportional list vote, while legislative elections used two rounds.
- Senators are now elected by an electoral college of the local councillors chosen in 2025 (International IDEA).
Local terms
- Délégation spéciale
- An appointed body that ran councils after the 2023 coup until new elections.
- Chef de regroupement
- A chief over a cluster of villages, part of the lower administration.
Sources
- Constitution de la République gabonaise (Loi référendaire n°002-R/2024, Journal officiel n°47 bis, 19 décembre 2024), FAO FAOLEX, checked 14 October 2026
- Democracy Tracker: Gabon, International IDEA, checked 14 October 2026
- Gabon's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2011 (previous constitution, for comparison), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
See also: Gabon's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.