Gabon has held its first parliamentary and local elections since a military coup in 2023, with the party of transitional president Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema emerging as the dominant force in a political landscape dramatically reshaped by the ouster of the Bongo family dynasty.

The Democratic Union of Builders (UDB), a party founded by gen. Nguema, secured 55 out of 145 seats in the National Assembly in the first round of voting. In a stark illustration of the country's political transformation, the former ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which held power for over five decades, won only three seats. According to official results, a second round of voting will be held on October 11 in 77 districts where no candidate secured an outright majority.

These elections are a pivotal step in the country's planned return to constitutional rule following the August 2023 coup. The military, led by gen. Nguema, overthrew president Ali Bongo Ondimba shortly after he was declared the winner of a disputed presidential election. The coup leaders cited irresponsible governance and ended the Bongo family's 56-year hold on power.

The vote allows over 900,000 Gabonese citizens to elect members of parliament and local councilors, replacing the transitional officials who were appointed by the military junta in the wake of the takeover. The legislative elections follow a presidential election held in April 2025, which formalized Nguema's position as head of state.

While the elections signal a move towards restoring democratic processes, recent constitutional changes have consolidated power within the executive branch. A new constitution, adopted by referendum, maintains a strong presidential system where the legislature has limited authority and cannot remove the government. Furthermore, a newly adopted electoral code proved controversial by enabling military officials, including Nguema himself, to run for presidential office.

Before this vote, Gabon was governed by a Transitional Parliament, which included a National Assembly and a Senate composed of figures from political parties, civil society, and the defense and security forces. The outcome of the parliamentary elections solidifies gen. Nguema's political power, transitioning his leadership from a military to a civilian footing, albeit one built on the foundations laid after the coup. The nation now awaits the second round of voting to determine the final composition of its new parliament.