Vote count starts in Guinea-Bissau referendum on strengthening presidency

What the report says

Ballot counting is under way in Guinea-Bissau after Sunday’s constitutional referendum, which asked voters whether to adopt a new charter that would shift the country from a parliamentary system to a presidential one. Al Jazeera reported that the vote took place about 10 months after the military seized power in a coup, and that the transitional authorities say the change is meant to help create more stable civilian governments after elections later this year.

The referendum would give the head of state wider powers, including the ability to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and ministers and, in some cases, dissolve parliament. It would also end the arrangement under which the prime minister is drawn from the parliamentary majority, a system officials have described as having produced difficult power-sharing.

Guinea-Bissau’s National Electoral Commission said turnout exceeded 55 percent and that the poll passed without incidents that would undermine its credibility, according to executive secretary Idrissa Djalo. Results are expected on Tuesday. The country is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 6, with the military government saying it wants to return authority to a civilian administration.

The referendum follows years of political turbulence, including a disputed presidential election in November 2025 in which both candidates claimed victory. Under the transitional charter, General Horta Inta-A Na Man, the interim president, is not allowed to run in the coming elections.