Guinea-Bissau is facing a new political test after voters approved a referendum on a proposed charter that will give the president the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and government ministers, while reducing the number of seats in parliament from 102 to 65.. Sunday's referendum came less than 10 months after a coup in which the military seized power and three months ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on December 6. The transitional authorities say the constitutional reform is intended to bring stability to the impoverished West African country and prepare it for a return to civilian rule.
On Monday, the National Transitional Council claimed victory for the "Yes" camp. "The majority of those who went to vote voted yes. In conclusion, the victory of yes is guaranteed," council spokesman Alberto Pinto Pereira said.
On Tuesday, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) confirmed victory for the "Yes" side, saying it had received 70% of the vote, compared with 30% for the "No" camp, and that voter turnout exceeded 50%. NEC chairperson Carmen Izaura Lobo described the Guinea-Bissau referendum as a success, due to the "organizational capacity, professionalism and dedication" of teams on the ground, (AFP) reported. Lobo praised the "transparency" and "credibility" of the process.
The opposition, however, says the referendum has no legal basis because it was organized by institutions created after the military coup. It had called on voters to boycott the vote. Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), who was detained after the military coup and later released into house arrest, rejected the referendum as legally invalid.
Speaking to DW from Portugal, he said the institutions established by the military have no democratic mandate to rewrite Guinea-Bissau's constitution. The PAIGC and other opposition groups maintain that the vote is a continuation of the November coup. Fernando Dias Costa, the main challenger to then-President Umaro Sissoco Embalo in the November 2025 presidential election that was annulled by the military, disputed the official turnout figures.
"Very few citizens took part in this referendum," he said, noting that the people have sent an important message that must not be ignored. "They are not prepared to simply accept political changes that are clearly unconstitutional and have not been publicly debated." The proposed constitution would move Guinea-Bissau toward a much stronger presidential system. The president would appoint and dismiss the prime minister and government ministers and would have the power to dissolve parliament.
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