Guinea Votes in Referendum That Could Allow Coup Leader to Run for President

Guinea is holding a much-anticipated referendum on Sunday about a new constitution that could allow coup leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president, despite his earlier promise not to do so when he took power in 2021.
The military-led government in Guinea, a country with the world’s largest bauxite reserves, has already missed its self-imposed deadline of December 31, 2024, to return to civilian rule. Presidential elections are now expected to take place in December.
Critics fear the constitutional referendum is the latest attempt by a military-run government to legitimise its rule in West and Central Africa, where eight coups between 2020 and 2023 have reshaped the regional political landscape.
While the referendum is seen as a step toward elections and the return to civilian rule in Guinea, Doumbouya’s opponents have criticised it as a power grab by him.
Doumbouya has not yet said whether he plans to run for office. A transition charter adopted by his government after it took power stated that junta members would be barred from standing in the next election.
The referendum appears likely to pass because the two main opposition leaders, Cellou Dalein Diallo and deposed former President Alpha Conde, have called for a boycott of the vote.
Their parties are currently suspended, and Human Rights Watch has accused the government of disappearing political opponents and arbitrarily suspending media outlets.
The government has denied any role in disappearances but has vowed to investigate such allegations.
Voting centres were scheduled to open at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Sunday and close at 6 p.m. (1800 GMT). It is unclear when results are expected.
The new constitution would lengthen the presidential term from five years to seven, renewable once, and create a Senate, with one-third of senators directly appointed by the president.
In the final days of campaigning, the capital Conakry was dotted with small white posters featuring the word “Yes” next to a green checkmark.
On Thursday, S&P Global Ratings assigned Guinea its first-ever sovereign rating, B+ with a stable outlook. This makes Guinea the third best-rated economy in West Africa, according to the ratings agency.
It noted, however, that despite some progress towards establishing a civilian administration, “social needs are high and tensions with the opposition are elevated with accusation of arbitrary arrests and rising pressure on the media”.