1973 Gabonese general election

1973 Gabonese general election

23 February 1973
Presidential election
←  1967 1979  →
Turnout	97.75%
Candidate Omar Bongo Party PDG Popular vote 515,841 Percentage 100%
President before election Omar Bongo PDG Elected President Omar Bongo PDG

General elections were held in Gabon on 25 February 1973 to elect a President and the National Assembly. The country was a one-party state at the time, with the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) as the sole legal party. PDG leader and incumbent president Omar Bongo was the only candidate in the presidential election, and was unopposed for a full term. ^[1] Bongo had ascended as president after Léon M'ba died just days after swearing-in for a second term in 1967; Bongo had declared the PDG to be the only legally permitted party a year later.

In the National Assembly election, voters were presented with a single list of 70 PDG candidates, one for each seat in the expanded Assembly. ^[2]

Voter turnout was allegedly 97.8%. ^[3]

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Omar Bongo	Gabonese Democratic Party	515,841	100.00
Total			515,841	100.00
Valid votes			515,841	99.60
Invalid/blank votes			2,091	0.40
Total votes			517,932	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			529,828	97.75
Source: Nohlen et al.

National Assembly

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Gabonese Democratic Party	515,841	100.00	70	+23
Total		515,841	100.00	70	+23
Valid votes		515,841	99.60
Invalid/blank votes		2,091	0.40
Total votes		517,932	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		529,828	97.75
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

1. Elections in Gabon African Elections Database
2. Gabon Inter-Parliamentary Union
3. Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p403 ISBN   0-19-829645-2