Guinea-Bissau voters have approved constitutional changes that expand presidential powers and reduce the size of the country's legislature, according to results announced Tuesday by the National Electoral Commission.
Approximately 70% of voters supported the changes in a referendum held last Sunday, with 30% voting against, the commission reported. The constitutional amendments weaken the role of the prime minister, who previously shared executive authority with the president in a semipresidential system. The ruling military government stated that this arrangement had been a source of political instability. The number of legislative seats will also be reduced from 102 to 65.
These constitutional changes precede general elections scheduled for December. Opposition parties had called for a boycott of the referendum, arguing that the proposed amendments would solely increase the president's authority.
The West African region has experienced a series of coups since 2020. Guinea-Bissau itself saw a military takeover in November of the previous year, following a disputed election.
Guinea-Bissau, a country of about 2.2 million people, possesses significant natural wealth per capita, ranking high in West Africa according to the World Bank. Despite this, over half of the population lives in poverty.