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Guinea-Bissau begins constitutional referendum with low turnout

The referendum in Guinea-Bissau to approve a new constitution started peacefully, but voter participation was notably low.

30 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Guinea-Bissau begins constitutional referendum with low turnout — Archive photoPhoto: Joehawkins · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The constitutional referendum in Guinea-Bissau began on Sunday, with a low turnout reported in various regions of the country. Local media reported that the process was peaceful, despite the low voter participation.

The new constitution, if approved, aims to increase the power of President Francisco Horta N'Tam. However, the opposition, several civil society organizations, and the largest trade confederation in the country have expressed concerns regarding the potential impacts of this change.

These groups have called for a boycott of the referendum, accusing last year's coup leaders of attempting to restore Umaro Sissoco Embaló to power through this initiative.

The reduced participation during the voting appears to be linked to messages encouraging a boycott and distrust regarding the legitimacy of the process, reflecting a tense political environment in the country.

So far, no information has been released regarding the turnout rate or the demographic age of the voters who cast their ballots.

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