Voter turnout was estimated at 54%, according to the Committee on Transition and Reconstruction of Institutions (CTRI). There were no serious incidents during Saturday’s voting.
The Constitutional Court will announce the final results.
As he voted, the military leader hailed the referendum as “a big step forward”, adding that Gabonese people “come to vote transparently”.
On the eve of the vote, the transitional authorities called it an important step towards the return of constitutional order in the oil-rich country.
The referendum paves the way for elections tentatively scheduled for August next year – two years after Ngema came to power and ousted President Ali Bongo Odimbu, whose family ruled the country for decades.
The draft constitution establishes a seven-year term that can be renewed once, replacing the five-year term that had no term limits and allowed for dynastic rule.
It also prohibits members of the presidential family from running for the country’s highest office, and requires candidates to be exclusively Gabonese and have a Gabonese spouse.
It effectively bans a deposed leader who is married to a French woman.
It is seen as an attempt to end the phenomenon of family succession created by the Bong family, which has maintained a 55-year dynasty.
Bongo ruled for 14 years before being deposed. He took over after the death of his father, who had been president for 41 years.
The new law abolishes the position of prime minister and introduces two positions of vice presidents.
While some welcomed the draft law, others warned that it could concentrate too much power in the presidency.
Despite Gabon’s oil wealth and vast forests, one-third of Gabon’s 2.4 million people live below the poverty line, according to the United Nations.
