By Gerauds, Wilfried, Obangome and Jessica Donati LIBREVILLE (Reuters) -Gabon held a referendum on a new constitution on Saturday, a major step towards establishing democratic rule after a coup ousted the Bongo dynasty last year,

Gabon is holding a referendum on whether to adopt a new constitution, more than a year after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s longtime president and seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation.

Gabon’s military says it deployed troops Saturday to towns and villages and reinforced an ongoing dusk-to-dawn curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. to protect civilians and make sure there is peace and civilians are protected before,

Gabon extended a night curfew Saturday as it held a referendum on a new constitution the ruling junta says will mark a new chapter after 55 years of dynastic rule in the oil-rich African nation.

More than a year after Gabon's ruler Ali Bongo was toppled in a military coup, Gabon's citizens are voting Saturday in a constitutional referendum hailed as a "major turning point" by the junta.

Nearly 1 million people are expected to vote. The draft constitution, which proposes sweeping changes that could prevent dynastic rule and transfer of power, needs more than 50% of the votes cast to be adopted.

Gabon is holding a constitutional referendum on Saturday that could reshape its political system – introducing a seven-year presidential term, renewable once, while abolishing the post of prime minister.

Should the constitution of Gabon be modified? In a few days, citizens will be able to answer that question in a referendum. Voters will be required to decide on a draft text which gives more powers to the head of state while extending the presidential term in office to 7 years.

The vote follows a military coup that overthrew the Bongo family, which ruled the central African nation from 1967 to 2023.