Guinea-Bissau Votes to Hand President Sweeping New Powers in Military-Backed Referendum

Guinea-Bissau Votes to Hand President Sweeping New Powers in Military-Backed Referendum

Voters in Guinea-Bissau have approved a new constitution that significantly expands presidential authority, ending the current system of power-sharing with parliament.

· 1 min read ·
middle eastelectionsafrica

The West African nation voted Sunday in a referendum that gives the president the power to appoint and dismiss the prime minister without parliamentary approval [231131]. Official results confirm the change, which replaces the previous system where the prime minister was chosen from the parliamentary majority [233438]. The new charter also reduces the size of parliament, marking a major shift in how the country is run [232181].

The referendum, organized by the country's military junta, rolls back measures that had spread authority across different branches of government [228457]. Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and fragile governments—since gaining independence in 1974, no elected president has served a full term [228457].

Power-sharing arrangements, which were meant to ease rivalries between civilian leaders and the military, are now at risk under the new structure [228457]. The vote is seen as a test of the military government's plan to reshape the political system ahead of December elections [232181].

Turnout figures and a full breakdown of the vote have not yet been released [233438]. The change aims to reduce political deadlock that has long plagued the nation [233438].

Sources

Guinea-Bissau votes to give president more power in military-backed referendum #232181Guinea-Bissau votes to let president sack prime minister. #231131Guinea-Bissau’s Junta Pushes Referendum to Grab More Power #228457Guinea-Bissau backs new constitution in referendum #233438

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