Guinea-Bissau prepares for constitutional referendum to expand presidential power

Transition framework and the vote

Voters in Guinea-Bissau will decide on August 30, 2026, whether to approve a new constitution that replaces the semi-presidential system with a strong presidential regime. The National Transitional Council (CNT) approved the draft text on January 13, 2026, following the military coup on November 26, 2025. Military officers seized control three days after general elections on November 23, 2025, halting the process one day before presidential results were scheduled for release. General Horta Inta-A Na Man became transitional president following the takeover. The referendum determines whether the new basic law takes effect before presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 6, 2026.

Executive powers and structural changes

The draft constitution grants substantial executive authority to the president while reducing the prime minister's governing role. Under the proposed charter, the head of state formally presides over the Council of Ministers, where policy decisions are adopted. The president can also appoint a prime minister who is not drawn from the parliamentary majority. In addition, the text reduces the number of seats in the national parliament from 102 to 65. The draft also modifies voting rules for citizens living abroad, who will retain the right to vote in legislative elections but cannot cast ballots in presidential contests.

Arguments for institutional stability

Supporters argue that the new text will resolve decades of institutional friction between the head of state and the head of government. Campaign activities ended on August 28, 2026, with transitional officials, military figures, and allies of former president Umaro Sissoco Embaló conducting outreach in Bissau, Biombo, Gabú, and Bafatá. Public gatherings remained restricted, prompting door-to-door visits. Jurist and political science professor José Paulo Semedo stated that the previous charter caused persistent political conflict.

Most of the political conflicts we have had for 30 years, since we have had this Constitution, come from a power struggle between the prime minister and the president. Now it is clear: the head of state presides over the Council of Ministers, where most decisions are made.

Former minister Conceição Évora also endorsed the text, arguing that constitutional revision was overdue.

I am going to vote yes and I call on everyone who hears me and follows me to vote YES because constitutional revision has been discussed for a long time. It was not done earlier. Today, despite these circumstances of the coup d'état and having a military transition president, this revision was made and I agree with this. A lot will change that, in my view, will benefit Guineans.

Opposition calls for boycott

Main opposition parties and civil society groups have rejected the referendum, urging citizens to stay home. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and the PAI-Terra Ranka coalition describe the vote as an effort to legitimize the November 2025 coup. PAIGC leader and elected parliament president Domingos Simões Pereira released a video address from Portugal calling for an active boycott.

On Sunday, let us stay home. It is a way not only to defend our freedom, but also to preserve democracy and continue to have hope that the truth will prevail tomorrow.

The opposition platform Frente Única described the referendum as a farce that ignores the November 2025 electoral victory claimed for Fernando Dias da Costa. PAIGC deputy Iancuba Privado noted that restrictions on party rallies prevent open debate. Opposition groups also point to the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which prohibits changes to electoral rules within six months of an election.