Guinea-Bissau voters back a sweeping power shift, boosting the president and shrinking parliament

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau (AP) — Guinea-Bissau has voted in support of expanding presidential powers and trimming the country’s legislature, electoral authorities announced Tuesday.

The referendum held last Sunday was to change key provisions of the West African nation’s constitution ahead of December’s general elections that would return the country to democracy. Opposition parties called for a boycott of the referendum, saying it would only make the president more powerful.

The region has been rocked by a series of coups since 2020. In November last year, Guinea-Bissau became one of several West African nations to be taken over by soldiers when troops seized power following a disputed election.

The changes resulting from the referendum weakened the role of the prime minister, who shared the country’s top job with the president in a semipresidential system, an arrangement the ruling military government said was a source of political instability. The changes also included reducing the legislative seats from 102 to 65.

According to data released by the National Electoral Commission, 70% of voters supported the constitutional changes while 30% voted against.

The tiny country of around 2.2 million people has the highest proportion of natural wealth per capita in West Africa, according to the World Bank, but more than half of the country lives in poverty.