Guinea-Bissau has taken a major step toward restructuring its government, with 70% of voters approving a new constitution that grants the president sweeping powers.
The reforms, pushed by the military authorities who seized control last November, allow the president to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet, abolish ministries, and dissolve parliament during political crises.
Proponents of the changes argue that the previous system, which forced power-sharing between the president and a prime minister chosen by the parliamentary majority, was the root cause of the country's chronic political instability. The new framework also slashes the number of parliamentary seats from 102 to 65 and reduces electoral constituencies.
While the military junta frames this as a necessary path toward restoring order before the December elections, the opposition party, PAIGC, boycotted the vote, labeling the process a threat to democratic norms and an attempt to concentrate power.
Guinea-Bissau, long labeled a 'narco-state' by the UN due to its vulnerability to international drug trafficking, has struggled with a history of coups since its independence.
As the nation moves toward its next election, the expanded presidential powers will serve as the primary test for whether this constitutional shift can provide the stability the country has lacked for decades or if it will merely deepen existing political fractures.
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