Guinea-Bissau Amends Its Constitution Following a Mysterious Coup

On Sep 1, 2026

Politics

Election workers wait for voters to cast their ballots in a referendum on a new constitution. Following the military coup in November 2025, Guinea-Bissau, a West African nation, is set to hold a referendum on a new constitution. Photo: Darcicio Barbosa/AP/dpa

Keystone

About nine months after a military coup, Guinea-Bissau has adopted a new constitution that grants significantly more power to the president. According to the electoral commission, 70 percent of voters cast ballots in favor of the constitution in a referendum on Sunday. Voter turnout was just under 60 percent. Going forward, the president will have the authority, among other things, to appoint and dismiss the head of government. The parliament will be reduced from 102 to 65 seats.

Keystone-SDA

01.09.2026, 21:40

The military seized power in the small West African nation last November, just a few days after a presidential election. Opposition members and politicians in the region expressed suspicions that the coup may have been staged to prevent an opposition victory in the election. According to the election commission, the election records and electronic systems were destroyed during the coup. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear to this day.

Opposition Is Being Severely Restricted

Since then, General Horta N’Tam, who was considered a close ally of then-President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, has headed the transitional government. N’Tam is not allowed to run in the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 6. Observers believe it is possible that Embaló could return to the presidency. Whether he will run remains to be seen.

The opposition had called for a boycott of the referendum. Since the coup, political gatherings have been restricted and party headquarters have been shut down. In late March, an opposition activist was abducted and found dead. Leading opposition politicians were arrested.

Guinea-Bissau has a population of about 2.3 million and, according to UN criteria, is one of the least developed countries in the world. Since gaining independence in 1973, the country has experienced repeated coups. It is also considered a major transshipment point for cocaine from Latin America on its way to Europe.