Guinea-Bissau votes on constitutional overhaul strengthening presidency

Voters in Guinea-Bissau are deciding whether to approve a new constitution that would significantly strengthen the presidency and reshape the country's electoral system. The referendum is taking place on August 30 and is being watched closely because it could alter how power is shared between the head of state, parliament and the prime minister. It comes nine months after the military seized power and installed General Horta Inta-A Na Man as transitional president.

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The draft constitution was approved by the National Transitional Council on January 13, 2026, after the November 26, 2025 coup that interrupted the electoral process. The military takeover happened while presidential and legislative elections were still under way, one day before the electoral commission was due to announce the presidential results. The transition charter created the National Transitional Council, which has held legislative powers during the interim period.

The referendum will determine whether that draft enters into force and becomes the framework for a return to elected government. Supporters of the reform say it would provide clearer lines of authority and help address years of political instability and disputes between state institutions. Critics argue that it would concentrate too much power in the presidency and have questioned how the draft was produced.

The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, one of the country's main opposition parties, has rejected the referendum and called for a boycott. The vote also comes just over three months before presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 6. The referendum matters because Guinea-Bissau has long struggled with repeated coups and political crises since independence from Portugal in 1974.

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The country currently operates a semi-presidential system in which executive authority is shared between the president and prime minister. The proposed constitution would substantially change that balance by giving the president significantly greater executive authority and reducing the role of the prime minister. That makes the outcome important not only for the transition now under way, but also for the shape of future civilian rule.

The political stakes are high because the referendum is part of a broader effort to reset institutions after the military takeover. Horta Inta-A Na Man, who was army chief of staff before becoming transitional president, now sits at the centre of that process. The National Transitional Council has already played a key role by approving the draft text and holding legislative powers during the transition.

The referendum therefore serves as both a test of the transitional authorities and a measure of public support for the proposed new constitutional order. What remains unclear is how much turnout the referendum will attract and whether the boycott call will affect the result. It is also not yet clear how the vote will influence the December elections if the draft is approved or rejected.

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