Guinea’s military-led government has created a new electoral authority ahead of a scheduled constitutional referendum on September 21, a move that has drawn criticism over its credibility and impartiality.
The new body was established by a presidential decree issued by General Mamadi Doumbouya and announced on state television late Saturday.
According to the decree, the agency will function under the interior ministry, although it will have financial autonomy. It will be tasked with organising political elections and referendums, managing the biometric voter register using national population data, and forming a special unit dedicated to election security.
However, the decision has already sparked backlash. Prominent lawyer and former president of Guinea’s bar association, Mohamed Traoré, criticised the development in a Facebook post on Sunday. He warned that placing the electoral process under a ministry led by government officials openly supportive of Doumbouya undermines confidence in the upcoming votes.
He wrote, “A politicised administration with officials who act like party activists raises serious concerns about the sincerity and transparency of the elections.” He added that entrusting election oversight to a department under the territorial administration ministry further compromises its neutrality.
The transitional military government, which seized power in a 2021 coup, had initially pledged to return the country to civilian rule by the end of 2024. That timeline has since slipped, prompting scepticism among opposition groups and civil society organisations, many of whom accuse the junta of entrenching its power.
Earlier this year, the junta set September 21 as the date for a constitutional referendum. By mid-May, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said the government was committed to ensuring both legislative and presidential elections would be held in December.
In his New Year’s address, General Doumbouya described 2025 as a “crucial electoral year” that would restore constitutional order. However, speculation is growing that he may seek to run for president, despite an earlier transitional charter explicitly barring junta members and government officials from contesting elections.
Observers warn that a new constitution, if adopted, could remove these restrictions and pave the way for Doumbouya’s candidacy, a move likely to fuel further political tension in the country.
