Guinea-Bissau Schedules Referendum on Presidential Powers
Voters in Guinea-Bissau will go to the polls on 30 August to decide on constitutional reforms that would significantly strengthen presidential authority and shift the country from a semi-presidential toward a more presidential system.
The date was set by a decree published yesterday by the transitional government led by General Horta N’Tam. The Supreme Court has already issued a favourable opinion on holding the referendum.
Under the proposed changes, the president would gain the power to appoint the prime minister and members of the government and to dissolve parliament. The current system, in which the prime minister is chosen from the parliamentary majority, has often produced unstable coalition governments.
The reforms were unanimously approved in January 2026 by the 65-member National Transitional Council, the legislative body established by the military following the coup of 26 November 2025. That takeover occurred just days after disputed general elections on 23 November, during which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa claimed victory.
Military officers cited threats to national stability and alleged electoral manipulation, suspended the process, briefly detained Embaló, and later installed General Horta N’Tam as transitional president to oversee a one-year return to civilian rule. A new prime minister, Ilídio Vieira Té, was also appointed.
The revised constitution removes certain ideological language from the preamble to present it as a document “for all Guineans” while concentrating executive power in the presidency. The president would serve as both head of state and head of government, presiding over the Council of Ministers, with the prime minister acting under presidential directives. Parliament would retain legislative and oversight functions.
Transitional authorities have stated that neither General Horta N’Tam nor the current transitional prime minister will be eligible to contest the upcoming elections, with new presidential and legislative polls scheduled for 6 December 2026. The August referendum is positioned as a key step in defining the institutional framework before that vote.
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of political instability and coups. The 2025 takeover drew condemnation from ECOWAS and the African Union, which have engaged with the transitional authorities on the roadmap to civilian rule.
The government argues the changes are essential to address chronic gridlock and weak executive authority, while critics question the legitimacy of decisions taken by the unelected National Transitional Council and the risks of concentrating power during a military-led transition.
