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Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah has said he believes voters are seeking a “dynamic of change” that a proposed new constitution could deliver, as the country prepares for a referendum on Sunday. However, opposition groups have urged citizens to boycott the vote, accusing the ruling junta of attempting to prolong its grip on power.
The referendum comes four years after a military coup ousted elected president Alpha Condé. Around 6.7 million Guineans are being asked to approve a draft constitution that is intended to pave the way for presidential and legislative elections later this year. The junta, which seized power in 2021, initially pledged to return authority to civilian rule after a transition period and promised that none of its leaders, ministers or institutional heads would be allowed to run for office.
Speaking to AFP at his official residence ahead of the ballot, Bah defended the military-led administration’s record and encouraged a “yes” vote. Asked whether junta chief Mamady Doumbouya would stand for the presidency despite his earlier promise not to, Bah replied, “why not?”, though he stopped short of confirming his candidacy, adding only that “any citizen who meets the minimum criteria can stand”.
Bah argued that the proposed constitution addresses long-standing demands from Guineans, including allowing independent candidates and giving citizens the right to petition. He said the country “aspires to a dynamic of change and unity” that would overcome divisions and ethnic rivalries in favour of national development.
Opposition groups have condemned the vote, claiming the junta has stifled dissent. They point to the suspension of three major political parties, including Condé’s, in August, the banning of demonstrations since 2022, and the arrest, prosecution or exile of several opposition figures. Media outlets have also faced suspensions under the military government.
Bah dismissed accusations of repression, insisting that most Guineans support the current political process and that some opposition figures had sought to destabilise the country using violent methods. He acknowledged reports that some opponents had disappeared, saying he hoped they were “alive and well”, though investigations have yet to yield any answers.
In Conakry, streets are now plastered with posters of Doumbouya and pro-“yes” slogans, while events celebrating him, including football matches, have been staged nationwide. Doumbouya has promised that 2025 will be a “crucial electoral year” to restore constitutional order, and Bah reiterated that elections would go ahead, though he declined to give a specific date.
The draft constitution would effectively bar both Condé and former prime minister Cellou Dalein Diallo from contesting the presidency, which Bah dismissed, saying they “belong to the past”. He also highlighted what he described as one of the junta’s achievements: the trial of former junta officials accused of killing at least 156 people and injuring hundreds during a 2009 opposition rally in Conakry. “Who would have thought that soldiers, as part of a transition, would try and have tried other soldiers from another transition,” Bah remarked.
