Guinea to hold its first presidential elections post-coup

On September 27, Guinea announced its plans to hold its first presidential vote since the coup d’état staged by Mamady Doumbouya in 2021, Reuters has reported.

The elections are planned for December 28, and critics fear results could legitimise the military junta’s rule.

The announcement was made a day after the Supreme Court validated the results of the referendum that approved Guinea’s new constitution. The newly approved rules could allow Doumbouya to stay in power as a democratically elected president.

Guinea was one of eight countries in West and Central Africa to be struck by a coup between 2020 and 2023. Some of the neighbouring countries – such as Chad and Gabon – have since held elections formally making transitions to civilian rule, while others – such as Mali and Niger – have entered longer transition periods that do not include direct voting.

In 2022, Doumbouya’s government accepted negotiations with regional bloc ECOWAS – the Economic Community of West African States – that included a transition to elections within two years. However, that deadline was not met, and a transitional framework that barred junta members from contesting elections was put in place.

Guinea’s newly approved constitution replaces the previous transition period, allowing junta members to join elections, therefore opening the door for Doumbouya’s candidacy. The junta leader has not yet announced his intentions to do so.

The reform also introduces a longer presidential term of seven years, renewable only once, along with the creation of a new senate.

With 6.7 million eligible voters in the country, a turnout of 50% was needed for the constitution to pass. The new rules passed with 89% of the vote, according to results published on September 26, which put turnout at 92%. The turnout figure has been contested by opposition politicians, who state it did not square with their observations at polling stations that indicated sparse voter participation.