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3d ago

Guinea-Bissau Calls Referendum to Concentrate Power in Presidency

The junta says the reform will stabilise institutions before December elections.

A drone view shows a statue of Amilcar Lopes Cabral, an anti-colonial leader who led Guinea-Bissau's independence movement as head of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, November 24, 2025. REUTERS/Luc Gnago/File Photo
Guinea-Bissau holds a referendum on Sunday on changing the constitution to give the president more powers
The junta says the change seeks to stabilise institutions before new presidential and parliamentary elections designed to hand power back to civilians scheduled for December 6
The army seized power in the Portuguese-speaking country in November, days after a presidential election

Overview

  • The referendum, set for Sunday, August 30, would change the constitution to allow the president to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet and to dissolve parliament in specified crises.
  • The draft would shrink parliament from 102 to 65 seats and cut electoral districts from 29 to 12, a redesign that experts say will weaken parties with local bases.
  • New candidate rules in the draft include a five-year permanent residency requirement, a reported 50 million CFA franc deposit for presidential hopefuls, and party sponsorship thresholds that raise the cost of entry to national contests.
  • The vote is being run by institutions reconstituted by the military junta, which replaced the National Electoral Commission leadership and installed a 65-member transitional council, while opposition offices are closed and leader Domingos Simões Pereira has been detained.
  • Observers warn the changes could narrow political competition and affect voter access for December polls, and the process has drawn regional scrutiny and questions about outside influence and the junta’s stated plan to return to civilian rule.