Guinea-Bissau backs stronger presidency with 70% yes

Guinea-Bissau voters approved a new constitution that will give the president more powers, with the “yes” camp winning 70 percent of the vote, the National Electoral Commission said Tuesday.

The referendum was held Sunday, less than 10 months after a coup in which the military seized power, and ahead of a December 6 presidential election intended to restore civilian rule.

Under the new text, the Portuguese-speaking country will abandon the previous system in which the prime minister came from the parliamentary majority. The head of state will be able to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and government members, and to dissolve parliament.

The junta says the change will stabilise institutions before elections designed to hand power back to civilians. The opposition had urged voters to boycott the referendum, saying it was being held “in a context of restrictions on public freedoms”.

Voters were asked whether they agreed with the entry into force of the new constitution approved by the National Transitional Council. Parts of the political class and civil society opposed the rewrite by an unelected transitional government.

Carmen Izaura Lobo, chairperson of the National Electoral Commission, described the vote as a success and praised the “transparency” and “credibility” of the process. An electoral commission official had earlier said turnout exceeded 55 percent, although voting appeared sporadic at five polling stations visited by AFP in Bissau on Sunday afternoon.

Junta leader and transitional president General Horta N'Tam called on young people to vote “massively” when he cast his ballot. Under the transitional charter he upholds, he is barred from running in the election.

The army took power in Guinea-Bissau last November, days after a presidential election, overthrowing then-president Umaro Sissoco Embalo and suspending the electoral process. Guinea-Bissau has experienced five coups and a series of attempted coups since 1974.