Guinea-Bissau plans referendum to grant president sweeping new powers

Guinea-Bissau is set to hold a constitutional referendum on August 30 that would dramatically increase the powers of the head of state. Under the draft charter, the president could appoint and fire the prime minister and cabinet, create or abolish ministries, chair the Council of Ministers, and dissolve parliament during a serious political crisis. The legislature would be reduced to 65 members from the current 102, and the number of electoral constituencies would drop to 12 from 29.

The vote comes after a military coup in November that interrupted the announcement of presidential election results. Analysts say the reforms would tilt the balance of power toward the president and diminish the role of political parties with strong local bases. Additional provisions would require presidential candidates to have lived permanently in the country for the previous five years, a stricter residency rule than the current constitution.