Following the September 2021 coup in Guinea, when Col. Mamady Doumbouya deposed President Alpha Condé, the junta made several promises aimed at returning the country to civilian rule and reforming the state. These included suspending the 2020 constitution, establishing a transition government, setting up new electoral institutions, holding a referendum, and organizing elections.
Over the past few years the government has carried out several of these reforms. A Directorate General of Elections (DGE) has been created to oversee electoral processes, including the voter register and ballot counting. A draft constitution was presented in mid‑2024 proposing key institutional changes: increasing the presidential term from five to seven years (renewable twice), creating a Senate, and removing earlier lifetime‑term limits; also notably permitting members of the junta to run for president, which had previously been forbidden.
On September 21, 2025, Guinea held a constitutional referendum. Provisional results announced afterwards indicated about 89.38% of voters approved the new constitution with a turnout of approximately 86.42%. Under the new charter, the ban on junta members running for president is removed, the presidential term becomes seven years (renewable once), and a Senate is established, one‑third of whose seats are to be appointed directly by the president.
Elections are now expected in December 2025 (both legislative and presidential), following the referendum. However, while the governing authorities have set that timeline, many details remain unsettled: the exact day, the list of candidates (including whether Doumbouya will run), and assurances about fairness, transparency, and opposition participation.
Throughout the transition, critics and opposition parties have raised worries: suspension of political parties (including those led by former President Condé and main opposition leaders), restrictions on media and civil society, and concerns about whether the new constitutional framework grants too much control to the president.
In nutshell, Guinea is in a stage where many reforms promised after the 2021 coup have been implemented in outline: new constitution adopted, electoral body established, election scheduled. But important details—dates, candidate eligibility, opposition access, and guarantees of democratic openness.
