Polls opened successful Guinea connected Sunday (September 21, 2025) for a referendum that could let the person of the country's junta to tally for the presidency and is being intimately watched successful the coup-battered region.
Citizens of this coastal West African state are casting their ballots successful favour oregon against a caller draught constitution, the cardinal measurement successful the country's modulation from subject regularisation to civilian rule. Elections are expected to travel successful December.
Guinea is 1 of a increasing fig of West African countries, including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, wherever the subject has taken powerfulness and delayed a instrumentality to civilian rule. Critics accidental Sunday's referendum is simply a mode for Gen Mamadi Doumbouya, who ousted President Alpha Conde successful 2021, to question the presidency and legitimise his subject rule.
There are 6.7 cardinal eligible voters and the referendum needs a elector turnout of astatine slightest 50% to pass.
Polls opened astatine 7 a.m. section clip and are expected to adjacent astatine 6 p.m.
An omnipresent run with the Opposition missing
In the past days of the campaign, Conakry, Guinea's capital, was buzzing with activity. There were Quran readings, reggae concerts and prayers held successful enactment of Doumbouya. Supporters wearing T-shirts and boubous — accepted West African flowing garments — printed with Mr. Doumbouya's face, gathered astatine neighbourhood rallies. Only 1 happening was missing: the Opposition.
Campaigning was banned connected Friday (September 19, 2025) and Saturday (September 20, 2025) but the referendum remained omnipresent. Public and backstage buildings successful Conakry remained plastered with “Yes" run billboards calling for support of the referendum. At a performance held Friday nighttime successful 1 of Conakry's bars, set members sang a opus astir Doumbouya, repeatedly chanting “Oui! Oui! Oui!," oregon “Yes! Yes! Yes!” successful French, the country's authoritative language.
The subject authorities silenced critics and past twelvemonth dissolved much than 50 governmental parties successful a determination it claimed was to “clean up the governmental chessboard.” Weeks earlier the referendum, it suspended the 3 main Opposition parties, making it intolerable for them to signifier rallies and talk to the population.
More than fractional of Guinea's colonisation cannot work oregon write, which means they lone get accusation astir the caller constitution from the “yes” camp, said Rafiou Sow, president of the Opposition Renewal and Progress Party, 1 of the suspended governmental entities, who called for the boycott of the referendum.
“Our activists and supporters person nary cognition of this constitution. The infinitesimal we were excluded, they were excluded,” helium said. “We, who were expected to assistance Guineans recognize what is written successful it, we are forbidden adjacent to speak.” Junta person was the cardinal fig of the run Mr. Doumbouya took powerfulness by unit 4 years ago, saying helium acted to forestall the state from slipping into chaos and chastising the erstwhile authorities for breached promises. Despite affluent earthy resources, implicit fractional of Guinea's colonisation of 15 cardinal radical is experiencing “unprecedented levels of poorness and nutrient insecurity,” according to the World Food Program.
Mr. Doumbouya initially said helium would not tally for the presidency. But the draught constitution allows junta members to tally for bureau and extends the statesmanlike mandate from 5 to 7 years, renewable twice.
Although Mr. Doumbouya has not spoken publically astir whether helium would tally successful December's election, helium remains the main fig of the referendum campaign.
Tiguidanké Guirassy, a 20-year-old assemblage postgraduate who attended a rally connected Thursday evening successful cardinal Conakry, said she was “inspired” by Doumbouya to ballot successful favour of the constitution.
“In my neighbourhood, we didn't person roads,” she said. “Now, helium took attraction of that, we person roads. He has made a batch of advancement for Guinea and I anticipation helium volition proceed connected this path.”
Critics denounce a powerfulness drawback
If adopted, the Constitution would present a fig of changes, including creating the Senate and allowing autarkic candidates to basal successful the election. Fanta Conte, a subordinate of Guinea's National Transition Council, said the referendum was not astir Mr. Doumbouya, but astir the caller Constitution, which would springiness much powerfulness to the legislative subdivision of government.
Analysts said that portion the absorption of the caller Constitution was good, the changes were not necessary.
“We've ever had constitutions that enshrined equilibrium of powers and antiauthoritarian and adjacent modern institutions," said Kabinet Fofana, caput of the Conakry-based Guinean Association of Political Sciences. “But the occupation is not the constitution — it is alternatively respect (for it), its applicability, and regularisation of law.” Critics denounced the referendum arsenic a powerfulness grab.
Since coming to power, the subject junta has been tightening its grip connected autarkic media and the Opposition, according to rights organizations. Human Rights Watch accused the subject authorities of disappearing its opponents and silencing captious media voices. Reporters Without Borders said that journalists person faced attacks and arrests, with accusation sites and vigor stations interrupted oregon suspended.
But galore Guineans, disillusioned with erstwhile regimes, person been seduced by Mr. Doumbouya's imaginativeness of a prosperous, developed Guinea, which would yet payment all.
“We person seen galore regimes here, but since the accomplishment of (Mr. Doumbouya) determination has been change," said Ben Daouda Sylla, a 30-year-old lawyer. "He is doing everything imaginable to guarantee that Guinea moves forward.”
