By Obinna Uballa
Guineans troop to the polls on Sunday in a long-awaited referendum on a new constitution that could clear the way for coup leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president, marking a critical step in the country’s transition from military to civilian rule.
The 6.7 million eligible voters are deciding whether to adopt a charter that would extend the presidential term from five to seven years, renewable once, and establish a Senate, one-third of whose members would be appointed by the president, Aljazeera reported.
In the capital, Conakry, voters queued early at polling stations under heavy security. The government said more than 40,000 personnel had been deployed nationwide to safeguard the process.
Supporters hail the draft constitution as progressive, but critics argue it could legitimise military rule and allow junta members to contest elections despite a transitional charter barring them from doing so. “Opponents fear this referendum will open the door for the current military rulers to participate in the [next] election,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reported from Conakry.
Doumbouya’s government seized power four years ago, ousting former President Alpha Conde, and had initially promised to return the country to civilian rule by December 2024. That deadline was missed, deepening concerns about a power grab.
A presidential election is now scheduled for December, but Doumbouya has not declared his intentions. Meanwhile, leading opposition figures, including Cellou Dalein Diallo and deposed former president Conde, have urged a boycott of Sunday’s vote.
Both men’s parties remain suspended, while rights groups accuse the junta of abducting political opponents, allegations it denies.
Results of the referendum are expected within two to three days.
