Voters in Guinea-Bissau have endorsed constitutional amendments that considerably increase the authority of the presidency ahead of elections planned for December.
The referendum was conducted by the military authorities who took control of the West African country in November 2025 after a contested presidential poll.
According to provisional figures released by the electoral commission, about 70 per cent of participants supported the proposed changes, while 30 per cent rejected them.
Voter participation was estimated at almost 60 per cent.
Under the revised constitution, the president will have the power to appoint and remove the prime minister and members of the cabinet, establish or scrap government ministries, and dissolve parliament during a serious political emergency.
The reforms represent a major shift from Guinea-Bissau’s previous semi-presidential arrangement, under which the parliamentary majority selected the prime minister, who subsequently formed the government.
The military leadership has defended the amendments, arguing that frequent clashes between presidents and prime ministers have contributed significantly to the country’s long history of political turmoil.
However, the country’s largest opposition movement, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), boycotted the referendum.
The party said the exercise lacked sufficient political and institutional protections and could undermine efforts to restore democratic government.
PAIGC leader Domingos Simões Pereira accused the authorities of attempting to weaken democratic institutions and restrict political freedoms.
Critics also questioned the level of public support for the constitutional changes. Some civil society activists told the BBC that the vote was largely predetermined and claimed that around 90 per cent of registered voters stayed away from the polls.
Regional affairs analyst Paul Ejime told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the outcome failed to represent the broader wishes of the population and warned that the reforms could transform the presidency into an institution with excessive authority.
He also urged the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to act against the changes, citing regional rules that prohibit member countries from altering their constitutions within six months of an election.
The revised charter retains a five-year presidential mandate and a maximum of two terms in office.
It also cuts parliamentary membership from 102 to 65 and reduces the number of constituencies from 29 to 12.
Another provision requires presidential contenders to have lived continuously in Guinea-Bissau for at least five years immediately preceding an election.
The referendum comes after another period of severe political instability in the former Portuguese colony, which has recorded numerous attempted and successful coups since becoming independent in 1974.
The military takeover last November followed a disputed presidential election in which then-President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition contender Fernando Dias each claimed victory.
The junta said it intervened to prevent an alleged conspiracy involving unnamed politicians and a prominent drug trafficker.
Guinea-Bissau has long faced allegations of being used as a transit point for international narcotics trafficking.
Its scattered islands and remote coastline have made the country attractive to criminal networks, prompting the United Nations to describe it as a “narco-state”.
The military government says the December presidential and parliamentary polls will mark the country’s return to civilian administration.
The elections are therefore expected to provide a crucial test of whether the junta honours that commitment and whether the new constitutional framework will deepen the concentration of political power in the presidency.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong