Bissau, Guinea-Bissau — Guinea-Bissau’s military junta announced on Wednesday that presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on 6 December 2026, more than a year after troops overthrew the government in a coup that upended the West African nation’s fragile democratic process.
In a presidential decree, General Horta Inta-A Na Man, leader of the High Military Command for the Restoration of Order, said the conditions for “free, fair and transparent elections” had been met, signalling an official electoral timetable for the first time since the November 2025 crisis. The announcement follows mounting regional and international pressure on the junta to define a clear path back to constitutional rule.
The planned polls will elect both the president and all 102 members of the National People’s Assembly, using a two-round system for the head of state and proportional representation for legislators.
The December election date comes in the wake of chaotic events in late 2025. On 23 November 2025, Guinea-Bissau held a presidential and legislative vote viewed by many observers as crucial to its democratic consolidation. However, when provisional results were due, military officers seized power on 26 November, detaining President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and halting the vote count. Prior to the coup, both Embaló and his main rival had claimed victory in a tightly contested race.
The electoral commission later said it could not finalise results after ballots, tally sheets and election servers were seized or destroyed during the upheaval.
General Horta, who was appointed transitional president in late November 2025, also backed a transitional charter that explicitly bars him from contesting the 2026 election.
The decision to hold elections — more than a year after the coup — has drawn mixed reactions domestically. Key opposition figures, including former parliamentary speaker Domingos Simões Pereira, remain detained despite partial releases, and critics accuse the military leadership of entrenching its influence rather than facilitating a genuine return to civilian rule.
Guinea-Bissau’s political landscape has long been marked by institutional fragility. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, the country has endured repeated coups and attempted power grabs, undermining trust in electoral and judicial processes. Analysts also highlight the influence of organised crime, with the state historically acting as a transit hub for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has played a central role in pushing for a swift transition. In recent weeks, a high-level delegation led by the bloc’s chair, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio, and Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye pressed the transitional authorities for a credible timeframe and guarantees for broad participation. ECOWAS has warned that it could impose targeted sanctions should the electoral process be obstructed.
Despite the announcement of a December election date, questions remain over whether Guinea-Bissau’s electoral authorities will be able to conduct inclusive and transparent polls amid ongoing divisions and security concerns.
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