Gabon’s parliament has approved constitutional changes to fill a legal void if the president becomes incapacitated and grant heads of state immunity after they leave office.
The question of a constitutional vacuum became a crunch issue in the central African state two years ago when President Ali Bongo Ondimba suffered a stroke that needed months-long convalescence.
Under the change, the president’s power will be transferred to a triumvirate – the speakers of its chambers of parliament and the defence minister – if the head of state becomes temporarily or permanently incapacitated. (AlJazeera)