Gabonese Democratic Party

The Gabonese Democratic Party (, PDG) is a political party in Gabon. It was the dominant political party in Gabonese politics from 1961 to 2023, when it was deposed in a coup d'état against President Ali Bongo Ondimba. It was also the sole legal party between 1968 and 1990. History The party was established as the Gabonese Democratic Bloc (, BDG) in 1953 as a merger of the Gabonese Mixed Committee and the Gabonese Democratic Party. In the 1957 Territorial Assembly elections it won eight seats, finishing behind the Gabonese Democratic and Social Union (UDSG), which had won 14 seats. However, the BDG was able to form a coalition government with the "Entente–Defence of Gabonese Interests" list, headed by one of its members, and five independents. The BDG and UDSG formed an alliance prior to the 1961 general elections, with BDG leader Léon M'ba as the sole presidential candidate, and a joint "National Union" list running unopposed for the National Assembly. The 1964 parliamentary elections saw the two parties run against each other, with the BDG winning 31 of the 47 seats. The BDG was the only party to contest the 1967 general elections, with M'ba re-elected as President. M'ba died later in the year and was succeeded by Omar Bongo. On 12 March 1968 the BDG was succeeded by the Gabonese Democratic Party, which became the sole legal party. The PDG and Bongo were re-elected in one-party elections in 1973, 1980 and 1985, before constitutional amendments in May 1990 re-established the multi-party system.