Guinean voters may allow a coup leader to run for president in a referendum
Guinea will hold a long-awaited vote on a new constitution on Sunday that would allow Mamady Doumbouya, the mastermind of the coup, to run for president if he so chooses. Doumbouya swore not to do so when he took office in 2021.
In Guinea, which has the greatest bauxite reserves in the world, the military-led administration has already missed the timetable it set for a restoration to civilian control on December 31, 2024. December is now anticipated to see the country’s presidential election.
Eight coups between 2020 and 2023 changed the political landscape of West and Central Africa, and proponents worry the constitutional referendum is the latest attempt by a military-run government to legitimize its control over the continent.
Although the referendum is viewed as a step toward elections and Guinea’s restoration to civilian governance, Doumbouya’s opponents have denounced it as a personal power grab.
To date, Doumbouya has not stated if he plans to run for office. After assuming power, his government established a transition charter that stated junta members would not be allowed to run in the upcoming election.
Due to calls for a boycott of the vote by the two main opposition leaders, Cellou Dalein Diallo and ousted former President Alpha Conde, the referendum appears likely to succeed.
The government has been accused by Human Rights Watch of arbitrarily suspending media outlets and vanishing political opponents, and their parties are temporarily suspended.
The government has promised to look into claims of involvement in disappearances, but it has denied any involvement.
The voting locations were set to open on Sunday at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) and shut at 6 p.m. (1800 GMT). It’s not apparent when outcomes are anticipated.
In addition to creating a Senate with one-third of senators directly nominated by the president, the new constitution would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, renewable once.
Conakry, the capital, was covered in tiny white posters with the word “Yes” next to a green checkmark during the latter days of the campaign.
S&P Global Ratings gave Guinea its first sovereign rating, a B+ with a stable outlook, on Thursday. According to the ratings organization, this places Guinea’s economy as the third best in West Africa.
The report did point out that “social needs are high and tensions with the opposition are elevated with accusation of arbitrary arrests and rising pressure on the media,” even though there has been some progress in the establishment of a civilian rule.
