1945 French legislative election in Gabon–Moyen Congo

Elections to the French National Assembly were held in Gabon and French Congo on 21 October 1945, with a second round of voting on 18 November.[1] Gabriel d'Arboussier and Jean-Félix Tchicaya were elected.

Electoral system

The two seats allocated to the constituency were elected on two separate electoral rolls; French citizens elected one MP from the first college, whilst non-citizens elected one MP in the second college.[1]

Campaign

The election campaign was largely a contest between three large ethnic groups; the Fang of Gabon, the Mbochi in the north of Congo and the Vili from the Pointe-Noire coastal area. One other large group, the Kongo, refused to vote or wrote the name of the religious figure André Matsoua (who had died in prison in 1942) on the ballot paper.[2]

The Fang candidate was Jean-Hilaire Aubame, whilst the Vili candidate was Jean-Félix Tchicaya.

Results

First college
Candidate Party Votes % Notes
Gabriel d'Arboussier81750.8Elected
Henri SeignonFrench Section of the Workers' International60437.6
Jean PuytorocPopular Republican Movement18711.6
Invalid/blank votes376–
Total1,983100
Registered voters/turnout2,80370.7
Source: Sternberger et al.

Second college
Candidate First round Second round Notes
Votes % Votes %
Jean-Hilaire Aubame91220.298723.6
Jean-Félix Tchicaya80017.81,33431.9Elected
Emile Issembe80017.885520.5
Jacques Opangault63314.095622.9
Dabet58813.1
Dzonda2094.7
François Simon661.3461.1
Louis Bigmann360.8
Four other candidates46610.3
Invalid/blank votes159–138–
Total4,6691004,316100
Registered voters/turnout5,87379.55,87173.5
Source: Sternberger et al., French National Assembly

Aftermath

Following the elections, Senegalese MP Lamine Guèye attempted to persuade all the African MPs to form an African Bloc, which would be affiliated with the SFIO. However, the attempt failed, and although Tchicaya did sit with the SFIO, d'Arboussier joined the MUR.[3]

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References
  1. Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1978) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Erster Halbband, pp1045–1046
  2. Edward Mortimer (1969) France and the Africans 1944–1960: A political history, Faber, p65
  3. Mortimer, p72
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