Guinea Junta Forms New Election Body Ahead of Constitutional Referendum, 2025 Polls

Guinea’s military-led government has established a new institution to oversee the country’s electoral process, including a constitutional referendum scheduled for September and general elections planned for December 2025.

The announcement came through a decree by junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya, read on state television late Saturday. The newly formed Directorate General of Elections (DGE) will be tasked with organizing elections, maintaining the electoral register, and ensuring fairness  the process. It will also represent Guinea in regional and international electoral bodies.

The two heads of the DGE are to be appointed directly by presidential decree.

Gen. Doumbouya, who seized power in 2021, had initially pledged a democratic transition with a December 31, 2024 deadline. However, delays in fulfilling that promise triggered widespread opposition protests that brought the capital, Conakry, to a standstill earlier this year.

Last month, Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah reaffirmed that presidential and general elections will be held in December 2025, following a constitutional referendum set for September 21.

Despite the announcement, skepticism remains. Rights groups and opposition leaders have raised concerns over the credibility of the upcoming polls, citing a political crackdown that includes the dissolution of more than 50 political parties in 2024. The junta claimed the move was aimed at “cleaning up the political chessboard.”

Media freedoms have also been curtailed, with frequent disruptions to private radio stations, social media, and online news outlets. Journalists have reported threats, arrests, and increased government censorship over the past year.