Partial results from Guinea’s constitutional referendum show strong backing for President Mamady Doumbouya, with 90.6% of voters approving amendments that would allow him to seek office. Just 9.4% rejected the proposal, according to figures from the electoral commission based on 91% of ballots counted. More than 4.8 million ballots were cast out of 6.6 million registered voters, suggesting turnout topped 70%. The high participation is being touted by the government as proof of popular support, though opposition figures remain deeply skeptical.
The referendum comes three years after Doumbouya, then a 40 year old colonel and former French Legionnaire, seized power in a 2021 coup that toppled longtime leader Alpha Condé. At the time, a transitional charter barred coup leaders from standing in future elections. Officials argue the vote is part of a roadmap toward restoring civilian rule, with elections scheduled for December. But critics see the referendum as a tool for Doumbouya to consolidate power. Prominent opposition leaders, including former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo and ousted president Condé, boycotted the vote. Their parties remain suspended, limiting organized resistance.
Rights groups, meanwhile, accuse the transitional government of repressing dissent through arrests, forced disappearances, and media restrictions. Authorities have denied systematic abuses but pledged to review alleged violations. Doumbouya, who voted in Conakry with his wife, has not yet declared whether he will run in December’s election. His silence has fueled speculation about his political ambitions, especially after the overwhelming “Yes” result.
