Guinea-Bissau referendum backs sweeping constitutional changes
In a referendum on Sunday, about 70% of voters approved a new constitution that significantly strengthens presidential authority. The changes reduce the national parliament from 102 to 65 seats and cut electoral districts from 29 to 12, while also requiring presidential candidates to have lived in the country for at least five consecutive years. The outcome is expected to clear the way for December elections, which many hope will bring stability to a nation that has experienced multiple coups since independence.
The referendum marks the first constitutional overhaul since the 1993 charter that ended one-party rule. Turnout exceeded 55%, with roughly 544,060 voters participating. The new rules shrink parliament from 102 to 65 seats and reduce electoral districts from 29 to 12, while mandating a five-year continuous residency for presidential candidates—a measure widely seen as targeting diaspora politicians. The transitional council, installed after the military intervened in November’s disputed election, framed the changes as a path to stability. The PAIGC, barred from fielding a candidate in 2025, urged a boycott, calling the vote a continuation of the coup.
This constitutional shift could reshape Guinea-Bissau’s political landscape by concentrating power in the presidency and limiting diaspora influence, potentially reducing parliamentary checks. If December elections proceed peacefully, the changes may offer a rare period of continuity, but the reduced legislature and residency rule could also deepen opposition grievances, risking renewed instability. Regional observers and citizens alike may see this as a test of whether institutional reform can break the cycle of coups, though outcomes remain uncertain.