Voters in Guinea-Bissau have overwhelmingly backed a constitutional overhaul that substantially increases the authority of the president. The changes were put forward by the transitional military administration that took control of the West African nation following a takeover last November.
According to provisional figures released by the national electoral board, roughly 70 percent of participants cast ballots in favor of the constitutional amendments during Sunday's vote. The remaining 30 percent opposed the measures, while overall voter participation reached nearly 60 percent.
The newly approved legal framework alters the traditional semi-presidential structure by shifting significant executive authority away from the prime minister and into the hands of the head of state. Under the revised rules, the president gains the power to directly name and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet ministers, establish or eliminate government departments, and dissolve the national legislature during severe political crises.
Additionally, the reforms reduce the size of parliament from 102 seats down to 65 and decrease the number of electoral districts from 29 to 12. New criteria for presidential hopefuls have also been established, including a mandate that candidates must have maintained continuous residency inside the nation for the five-year period leading up to the ballot. Despite these sweeping adjustments, the framework preserves the five-year presidential tenure and the existing limit of two terms.
Military leaders maintained that the structural modifications were vital to resolving chronic friction between successive presidents and prime ministers, which they blamed for historical governance crises. The nation has endured numerous successful and attempted government overthrows since achieving independence from Portugal in 1974. International organizations have also highlighted the territory as a prominent transit point for illicit drug shipments due to its rugged and sparsely populated coastal geography.
The vote precedes a general election scheduled for December, which the current transitional authorities intend to use for restoring constitutional civilian administration. However, the referendum drew severe criticism from the primary opposition organization, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde. The party organized a complete boycott, arguing that the initiative lacked proper institutional safeguards and threatened democratic progress.
Critics and regional political commentators have similarly questioned the legitimacy of the process, warning that the concentration of authority threatens foundational freedoms and civilian governance. Analysts have urged regional diplomatic bodies to scrutinize the transition and uphold regional protocols regarding constitutional alterations ahead of elections.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
