Guinea will vote on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president, despite his earlier pledge not to do so when he seized power four years ago.
Wednesday marked the end of campaigning ahead of the poll, the latest attempt at a political transition in West and Central Africa, where eight coups between 2020 and 2023 reshaped the regional landscape.
A transition charter adopted after the September 2021 coup had barred junta members from standing in upcoming national and local elections, but the new constitution removes that restriction. Doumbouya has not disclosed his political intentions, though critics have condemned the referendum as a power grab.
Exiled opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo on Monday urged citizens to boycott what he described as a “masquerade.” Diallo’s Union of Democratic Forces party, along with ousted President Alpha Condé’s Rally of the Guinean People, has been suspended for failing to comply with new administrative and financial disclosure requirements imposed by the junta. Neither party has been allowed to campaign against the proposed constitution.
Human Rights Watch has accused Doumbouya’s government of abducting political opponents and arbitrarily suspending media outlets. The government has denied responsibility for disappearances but pledged to investigate.
Guinea’s transition to civilian rule has already missed a December 31, 2024 deadline set by the junta. A presidential election is now expected in December.
The new constitution would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, renewable once, and establish a Senate. The president would appoint one-third of senators, while the remaining two-thirds would be chosen by municipal and regional councils.
More than 6.7 million people are registered to vote. The constitution would pass with approval from more than half of those casting ballots.
Some voters support the measure. Ibrahima Camara, a civil servant, has changed his social media avatars to a pro-referendum image. “It’s the most clear-sighted choice,” he said. “We need a vote so Guinea can be governed by a constitution, a first step towards normalising the country.”
Others remain sceptical. Abdoulaye Diallo, from Conakry’s Hamdallaye neighbourhood, said: “I won’t vote because the process isn’t transparent. You can’t talk about voting in Guinea without the main parties. In the long run, this will create unnecessary tensions.”
