Constitutional referendum in Guinea: “Yes” secures an overwhelming victory with 90.6% according to partial results
The constitutional referendum held on September 21 in Guinea ended in a clear victory for “Yes,” according to partial results published Monday by the General Directorate of Elections.
SUMMARY
The new constitutional text, promoted by the transitional authorities, received 90.6% of the votes cast in the counted polling stations, while “No” gathered about 9.4% of the votes.
An exceptional turnout
Turnout is well above expectations. In more than 80% of the counted and validated polling stations (19,454 out of 23,662), the turnout reached 91.4%, or nearly 4,825,292 voters out of about 6.77 million registered.
“Yes” won overwhelmingly in most inland regions such as N’Zérékoré, Faranah, and Kankan, which show very high results, often exceeding 95% approval.
In contrast, in Conakry, the capital, “No” gathered a notable share — about 25.6% — showing greater reservation toward the constitutional project in that area.
Stakes of the reform
The text submitted to the vote notably provides for changing the length of the presidential term, extended from 5 to 7 years with the possibility of renewal only once, the creation of a Senate, part of whose members could be appointed by the president: this has sparked debate over the balance of power.
This reform comes as part of the political transition initiated after the overthrow of Alpha Condé in 2021. The authorities have promised presidential and legislative elections before the end of the year to restore constitutional order.
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