**Guinea‑Bissau Holds Referendum on Expanding Presidential Powers**
*Bissau, 31 August 2026* – Voters in Guinea‑Bissau went to the polls on Sunday to decide a constitutional amendment that would shift the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system, granting the head of state broader authority over the executive and the legislature.
The referendum asks citizens to answer “yes” or “no” to the question: “Do you agree with the entry into force of the new constitution approved by the National Transitional Council?” The amendment, approved unanimously by the ruling military junta, would allow the president to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and other members of the government, as well as to dissolve parliament.
The vote comes less than ten months after the military seized power in a coup that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. The coup occurred in November 2025, shortly after a presidential election, and led to the suspension of the electoral process. The junta installed General Horta N’Tam as transitional president under a charter that bars him from contesting the forthcoming elections. The transitional authorities have scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections for 6 December 2026, which they say are intended to restore civilian rule.
Opposition parties have called for a boycott of the referendum, citing “restrictions on public freedoms” and expressing concern over the concentration of power in the presidency. The political environment remains tense, with the country having experienced five coups and multiple attempted coups since gaining independence in 1974.
Guinea‑Bissau, one of the world’s poorest nations, has a history of fragile democratic institutions. The proposed constitutional change follows a broader regional trend in which several African states have amended their constitutions in recent years to extend term limits, remove age caps, or increase executive powers.
The outcome of the referendum will determine whether the country adopts a presidential system ahead of the scheduled December elections, which aim to transition authority back to a civilian government. (AFP)
Article and image source: allafrica.com
