Governance system in Equatorial Guinea – World Countries for Kids

Regular elections are held in Equatorial Guinea, but voting is not free and fair. The current president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who captured power via a military coup, has led an extremely repressive authoritarian regime since 1979. Political power and oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of the president’s family. The government often detains opposition politicians, censors journalists, and cracks down on civil society. The judiciary is under complete presidential control, and security forces indulge in torture and other violence with relative impunity.

Electoral Process

The executive including the council of ministers is under control of the president. Holding the presidency since 1979 has made president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Africa’s longest-serving head of state. In the presidential election held in November 2022, he ostensibly won 97 percent of the votes in a grossly unfair contest against two nominal challengers from the opposition.

Equatorial Guinea has a bicameral parliament consisting of a 100-seat Chamber of Deputies and a 70-seat Senate. 15 senators are appointed by the president and the remaining 55 are directly elected. Direct elections are held for the Chamber of Deputies. In the legislative elections held in November 2022, the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) and its allies got all 55 seats in the Senate, all 100 seats in the lower house, and all 588 municipal council seats. The campaign environment was firmly controlled by the authorities.

Political participation

Equatorial Guinea lacks an independent electoral body; during the 2022 elections the head of the National Electoral Commission was also the nation’s interior minister and a member of the ruling PDGE. Elections are not fairly held in practice. Ruling party PDGE is rules in coalition with several subordinate parties. The only other parties permitted to participate in the 2022 elections were the Party of the Social Democratic Coalition (PCSD) and the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS).

Opposition leaders and members face arrest, abuse in detention, and heavy prison sentences post unfair trials. In 2022, the headquarters of the CI opposition party was attacked by the police and 275 people including party leader Gabriel Nsé Obiang were arrested. At least four civilians and one officer were reportedly killed in the assault, and a lot of others were injured. In June 2023, dozens of members of CI were sentenced to prison terms exceeding 9 years, including Obiang, who was sentenced to longish 29 years in prison after a closed-door military trial.

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