FIRST TITLE. OF THE REPUBLIC AND ITS SOVERIEGNTY
Article 2
Gabon is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic. It affirms the separation of State and religion, and recognizes all religious beliefs, limited only by the respect of the public order.
The Gabonese Republic assures equality for all citizens before the law, making no distinction of origin, race, sex, opinion or religion.
The national emblem is the tricolored flag, “green, yellow and blue,” as three horizontal bands of equal dimensions.
The National Anthem is “La Concorde”.
The slogan of the Republic is: “Union-Labor-Justice”.
The seal of the Republic is a “Mother and Child Nursing”.
The national maxim is: “Government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
The Gabonese Republic adopts French as the official language of work and labor. Additionally, the Republic works to protect and promote the national language.
The capital of the Republic is Libreville. The capital cannot be transferred to another location without a law resulting from a referendum.
The National Holiday is celebrated on August 17th.
Article 3
National sovereignty belongs to the people that exercise it directly, by referendum or by election, according to the principle of pluralistic democracy, and indirectly by the Nation’s constitutional institutions.
No faction of people, group, or individual can claim to solely exercise national sovereignty, nor hinder the regular function of institutions of the Republic.
Article 4
Suffrage is universal, equal, and secret. It may be direct or indirect, following the provisions of the Constitution or the law. The polls open for one voting round for all political elections.
All Gabonese of both sexes, of at least 18 years of age, with their full civil and political rights, are considered voters according to the conditions provisioned by the Constitution and the law.
All Gabonese of both sexes, with their full civil and political rights, are considered eligible, according to the conditions provisioned by the Constitution and the law.
In a state of emergency duly declared by the Constitutional Court called upon by the Government, the member or members of the institution concerned will rest in office until the results of the election organized in the time periods fixed by the Constitutional Court are released.
Article 5
The Gabonese Republic is organized according to the principles of national sovereignty, and the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial powers of the State.
Article 6
Parties and political groups compete through the expression of suffrage. They may form and exercise their activities freely, within the guidelines fixed by the law, according to the principles of a multiparty system.
They must respect the Constitution and the laws of the Republic.
Article 7
All acts proposing harm to the republican tradition, the unity, the secular principles of the State, its sovereignty or its independence constitute a crime of high treason punishable by the law.
