President defends move to change Constitution

Gabonese President Ali Bongo has defended a plan to change the Constitution after the fiercely-contested draft cleared a key hurdle. A report on the SABC News site notes that Parliament last week approved a raft of changes that the opposition has slammed as a power grab, and the draft now goes to the Constitutional Court for its approval. In terms of the changes, the President has the power to 'determine the policy of the nation'. Previously, the text stated only that he or she would govern 'in consultation with the government'. Rejecting an opposition campaign to limit Bongo’s time in office, the new Constitution, like its predecessor, sets no restrictions on the number of times the President can be re-elected. At the same time, however, it introduces a two-round voting system, something the opposition had demanded.