Guineans will head to the polls on Sunday (today) for a long-awaited referendum on a new constitution that could open the door for junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president — despite his earlier pledge not to seek office after seizing power in 2021.
The military government, which oversees the world’s largest reserves of bauxite, had already missed a December 2024 deadline it set for a return to civilian rule. Presidential elections are now scheduled for December 2025.
Critics argue that the referendum represents yet another attempt by a military regime in West and Central Africa to entrench itself in power, following a wave of coups between 2020 and 2023 that reshaped regional politics.
Doumbouya has not declared whether he intends to contest the presidency. Under the junta’s transition charter, members of the ruling military council are barred from running in the next election.
The new constitution, if approved, would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, renewable once, and establish a Senate with one-third of its members directly appointed by the president.
The measure is widely expected to pass after Guinea’s two main opposition leaders — Cellou Dalein Diallo and ousted former President Alpha Conde — urged their supporters to boycott the vote. Both of their parties remain suspended.
Human Rights Watch has accused the junta of arbitrarily suspending media outlets and disappearing political opponents, charges the government denies, though it has pledged to investigate.
Polling centres opened at 7 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and were scheduled to close at 6 p.m. (1800 GMT), though it is unclear when official results will be released.
In Conakry, the capital, small posters marked with a green check beside the word “Yes” were visible across the city in the final days of campaigning.
Meanwhile, Guinea secured its first-ever sovereign credit rating last Thursday, with S&P Global assigning it a B+ rating and a stable outlook — ranking it the third-best economy in West Africa. Still, the agency cautioned that “social needs are high and tensions with the opposition remain elevated with accusations of arbitrary arrests and rising pressure on the media.”
