Gabonese voters head to the polls Saturday in the first presidential election since the 2023 bloodless military coup. Voting runs with over 900,000 eligible voters casting ballots at 3,037 polling stations, according to the Interior Ministry.

Eight candidates are in the race, including Zenaba Gninga Chaning, the sole female contender. The two-week campaign ended Friday in the nation of 2.5 million people.

Interior Minister Hermann Immongault called the vote a “milestone in the restoration of national institutions.” Around 2,450 national and international observers have been accredited, including from the African Union, Commonwealth, and other regional bodies.

Transitional President Brice Oligui Nguema, who led last year’s coup that ended the 56-year Bongo dynasty, is the frontrunner. His main rival is Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, the last prime minister under Ali Bongo.

Both candidates have pledged to diversify the economy, which currently relies heavily on oil, timber, and manganese exports.

Nguema, backed by multiple political parties under the Rally of Builders, highlighted his anti-corruption efforts and infrastructure projects during the transition. He promises to continue reforms, improve public services, and tackle youth unemployment.

Nze, running under the “Together for Gabon” movement, seeks to distance himself from the former regime and drive economic transformation.

If no candidate secures over 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held. Under the new constitution adopted in 2023, Gabon abolished the prime minister’s role and introduced a renewable seven-year presidential term.

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