Guinea-Bissau’s National Electoral Commission said voters approved a new constitution with 70 percent of ballots cast, on turnout of almost 60 percent. The charter gives the president authority to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet, create or abolish ministries, and dissolve parliament under certain conditions, weakening the existing power-sharing system. It also reduces parliamentary seats from 102 to 65 and electoral constituencies from 29 to 12. The referendum was proposed by the military government that seized power in a November coup and precedes presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December, which authorities say will return the country to civilian rule. The main opposition party, PAIGC, and civil society groups opposed the vote and called for a boycott, while international news agencies reported largely empty polling stations. The referendum follows years of instability, including the November 2025 presidential election, after which both candidates claimed victory and accused each other of interference; the coup followed one day later.