Guinea-Bissau has voted for a new political direction, approving constitutional reforms that could fundamentally reshape the balance of power between the presidency, government and Parliament.

In a referendum held on 30 August 2026, voters backed a new Constitution that strengthens the presidency while reducing the size of the country’s legislature. Provisional results indicated that about 70 per cent of voters supported the reforms, with around 30 per cent voting against.

The result represents far more than a constitutional amendment. It marks a significant attempt to redesign the political system of a country that has spent decades battling political instability, military interventions and tensions between presidents and governments.

Among the most striking changes is the decision to reduce the National People’s Assembly from 102 members to 65. That means 37 parliamentary seats will disappear under the new political arrangement, while the number of electoral constituencies will fall from 29 to 12.

The reduction in Parliament is likely to have a major impact on the country’s political landscape.
For political parties, particularly smaller movements, competing for fewer seats across larger constituencies could make parliamentary representation more difficult.
For voters, it also means that each elected lawmaker will represent a considerably larger political constituency.

Guinea-Bissau has often struggled with divided political institutions, with disputes between presidents, prime ministers and parliamentary forces repeatedly contributing to political crises.
However, the reduction also raises an important democratic question: will a smaller Parliament have enough power to effectively scrutinise a stronger executive?

The next major test will come on 6 December 2026, when Guinea-Bissau is scheduled to hold presidential and legislative elections. Those elections will be particularly significant because voters will not simply be choosing new leaders. They will be choosing the first political leadership expected to operate under the country’s new constitutional architecture.