Guinea-Bissau voted Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would shift the country from a semi-presidential to a full presidential system, granting the head of state authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and dissolve parliament, while also reducing the number of lawmakers from 102 to 65. The vote was organised by the military government (which seized power in November 2025 following a disputed presidential election) ahead of planned civilian elections on December 6, and drew turnout exceeding 55 percent despite an opposition-led boycott call. Supporters argue the changes would end chronic power struggles between the presidency and parliament that have fuelled decades of instability, though critics warn that a military transitional authority should not be rewriting the constitutional foundations of the state.
Mosaic News
Guinea-Bissau holds referendum on constitution that would expand presidential powers[Updated]
The new constitution also reduces the number of electoral constituencies from 29 to 12 and introduces a residency requirement stipulating that presidential candidates must have lived continuously in Guinea-Bissau for at least five years before standing for election — a provision widely seen as targeting diaspora-based politicians who command significant followings. The approved text marks the country's first constitutional amendment since changes that ended its one-party socialist state more than three decades ago. Sunday's turnout translated to an estimated 544,060 voters.
Provisional results released Tuesday evening by the National Electoral Commission show the "yes" vote securing approximately 70 percent of ballots cast in Sunday's referendum. Commission president Carmen Izaura Lobo described the process as a "success," citing the professionalism of regional commissions and polling agents, and praised the transparency and credibility of the vote. Final results are expected to be confirmed within days by the Supreme Court, which has so far received no legal challenges to the outcome.