Guinea Bissau: Guinea-Bissau Constitutional Referendum - an Explainer

What the report says

Guinea-Bissau’s military junta is preparing a constitutional referendum on August 30, 2026, with planned elections expected in December. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, in a piece published by AllAfrica, says the vote is meant to create a legal basis for the transition after the November 2025 coup led by Defense Chief of Staff Gen. Horta Inta-A Na Man, which followed disputed presidential voting and included the destruction of ballots and detentions of opposition figures.

According to the explainer, the draft constitution would shift more authority to the presidency and reduce elements of the country’s semi-presidential, power-sharing system. It would also cut the size of parliament and tighten electoral rules, including higher financial and membership thresholds for presidential candidates and parties. Supporters present the referendum as part of a transition process, while critics see it as a rollback of reforms meant to limit executive overreach.

The article places the referendum in Guinea-Bissau’s broader history of coups, disputed civilian-military relations and fragile institutions. It notes that efforts to balance power between the president and prime minister have repeatedly faced resistance, and that concerns are now heightened by the junta’s control over election administration.

AllAfrica’s source also reports that opposition activity has been sharply restricted since the coup, with protests banned, media under pressure and key opposition figures sidelined. Civil society groups and opposition coalitions have condemned the process, while regional bodies such as ECOWAS are criticized by opponents for not taking stronger action.