Overview
- The referendum, scheduled for Sunday Aug. 30, asks voters to approve a constitution drafted by the National Transitional Council during the military-led transition.
- Under the draft, the president would gain powers to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet, create or abolish ministries, chair the Council of Ministers, and dissolve parliament.
- The proposal would shrink parliament from 102 to 65 seats, cut electoral constituencies from 29 to 12, and add candidate rules such as five years of continuous residency and a 50 million CFA franc deposit.
- The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and some civil society groups have rejected the process and called for a boycott, citing the draft’s production under the junta and limits on public freedoms.
- If approved, the new text would set the rules for the presidential and legislative elections slated for Dec. 6 and could reshape who can run and how regions are represented in parliament.