The 1982

Constitution of Equatorial Guinea The Constitution of Equatorial Guinea ( es, Ley Fundamental de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the basic document of that country. It was approved in 1991 and amended in 1995. In 2011, a referendum was held on a series of constitutional amendments.Tristan M ...

was the country's third constitution. Following the 1979 military coup that removed

Francisco Macías Nguema Francisco Macías Nguema ( Africanised to Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong; 1 January 1924 – 29 September 1979), often mononymously referred to as Macías, was an Equatoguinean politician who served as the first President of Equatorial Guinea f ...

from the presidency, a

popular referendum A popular referendum (also known, depending on jurisdiction, as citizens' veto, people's veto, veto referendum, citizen referendum, abrogative referendum, rejective referendum, suspensive referendum or statute referendum)Maija SetäläReferendum ...

obtained 95.8% of votes in favor of the new Constitution in August 1982. The Constitution, which the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

helped draft, added provisions for human rights, outlined a new free-market economy for the country, and nominally restored national elections. President

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (; born 5 June 1942) is an Equatoguinean politician and former military officer who has served as the second president of Equatorial Guinea since August 1979. He is the longest-serving president of any country eve ...

, the leader of the 1979 coup and nephew of Macías, was effectively and officially established as president with the constitutional referendum, which bestowed upon him his first seven-year term in that role, despite leading the country since the coup. Despite the appearance of democracy and respect for human rights in the Constitution, it also granted the president unilateral powers over such things as cabinet positions and the right to

rule by decree Rule by decree is a style of governance allowing quick, unchallenged promulgation of law by a single person or group. It allows the ruler to make or change laws without legislative approval. While intended to allow rapid responses to a crisis, rule ...

, all of which has led to Obiang becoming the longest ruling non-royal leader in the world. The Constitution was replaced with the current document in 1991 through another

, which legalized political parties beyond Obiang's

Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea ( es, Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial, abbreviated PDGE) is the ruling political party in Equatorial Guinea. It was established by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo on 11 October 1987. ...

References

{{Reflist Constitutions of Equatorial Guinea

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

See also

References