Guinea-Bissau votes on expanding president's powers

Voters in military-run Guinea-Bissau cast ballots on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that could expand presidential powers before elections planned to restore civilian rule later this year.

Security was increased at strategic points in Bissau, with national guard members and police at key sites. Voting was due to close at 1700 GMT, and first provisional results were expected from Tuesday.

The referendum comes less than 10 months after the military seized power in the Portuguese-speaking West African country. The junta says the constitutional change is meant to stabilise institutions before presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 6.

The junta has approved a proposal to move Guinea-Bissau from a parliamentary system to a presidential system. Under the proposed text, the head of state would be able to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and government members, and dissolve parliament.

General Horta N'Tam, the head of the junta and transitional president, called on young people to vote as he cast his ballot. Under the transitional charter, he is barred from running in the planned elections.

The opposition has urged voters to boycott the referendum, saying it is being held “in a context of restrictions on public freedoms”.

Idrissa Djalo, head of the electoral commission, said during voting that no incident had been reported. He said turnout was significant in some regions and reasonable in others. At five polling stations in Bissau visited by AFP in the afternoon, voters were arriving irregularly in small numbers after morning rain dissuaded some voters.

The army took power 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.