Guinea-Bissau Approves New Constitution That Expands Presidential Powers

Guinea-Bissau Approves New Constitution That Expands Presidential Powers

Guinea-Bissau has approved a new ‌constitution in a referendum, with provisional results of expanding presidential powers and reshaped electoral rules ahead of a presidential election scheduled for December.

The West African country, led by military officers who seized power in ​a coup in November 2025, voted on Sunday on reforms allowing the president to appoint and dismiss the ​prime minister and cabinet.

The president can also create or abolish ministries and dissolve parliament in ⁠the event of a grave political crisis.

Under the current constitution, Guinea-Bissau’s legislature names a prime ​minister who appoints a cabinet.

The result gives the military government backing to reshape Guinea-Bissau’s political ​system before the presidential election, but the main opposition party boycotted the vote.

The new constitution was approved by 70 per cent of voters in favour and 30 per cent opposed, according to the provisional results announced by the National ​Electoral Commission.

It also said some 544,060 people had voted, almost 60 per cent of registered voters.

Polling ​stations in the capital Bissau were largely empty on Sunday, while some residents ‌told ⁠local media they had not known the referendum was being held or did not understand its purpose.

Guinea-Bissau’s main opposition PAIGC party urged its supporters to boycott the referendum, saying the process lacked adequate political and institutional safeguards.

PAIGC leader Domingos Simoes Pereira said in a video message ​that the backers of ​the referendum sought to “kill ⁠our freedom and bury our democracy.”

A spokesperson for the military government could not be reached for comment.

The constitution would cut the size ​of parliament to 65 seats from 102 and reduce the number of ​electoral constituencies ⁠to 12 from 29.

It further requires presidential candidates to have lived continuously in Guinea-Bissau for the preceding five years.

The coup in 2025 was the ninth in West and Central Africa over five ⁠years ​and part of a cycle of instability in Guinea-Bissau. ​

The country is widely known as a cocaine trafficking hub and has a long history of military interventions. #Guinea-Bissau Approves New Constitution That Expands Presidential Powers# Guinea-Bissau to Vote on Constitution Expanding Presidential Powers