mbers are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms

elections: National Assembly - last held 15 and 29 December 1996
(next to be held NA December 2001); Senate - last held 26 January
and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - PDG 89, PGP 9, RNB 6, CLR 3, UPG 2, USG 2,
independents 4, others 5; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1,
independents 9

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three
chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional
Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts

Political parties and leaders: African Forum for Reconstruction or
FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General
Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE
[Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG,
former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA, secretary general];
Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE,
president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU];
Gabonese Socialist Union or USG [Serge MBA BEKALE]; National Rally
of Woodcutters (Bucherons) or RNB [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's
Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and
Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
[Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA

chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000

FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668

consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
James V. LEDESMA

embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville

mailing address: B. P. 4000, Libreville

telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92

FAX: [241] 74 55 07

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top),
yellow, and blue

Gabon Economy