Guinea-Bissau to vote on new constitution that would expand presidential powers

BISSAU, Aug 25 - Guinea-Bissau, which is currently led by military officers who staged a coup last year, will hold a constitutional referendum on August 30 that would expand the power of the presidency and reshape rules for elections scheduled for December.

• Under the current constitution, Guinea-Bissau's legislature names a prime minister who appoints a cabinet. The new constitution would allow the president to appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet. The president would also be able to create or abolish government ministries, chair the Council of Ministers, dissolve parliament in the event of a grave political crisis and dismiss the government under certain circumstances, according to a copy seen by Reuters.

• The new constitution would also shrink parliament to 65 seats from 102 and cut the number of electoral constituencies to 12 from 29.

• The coup last November took place one day before the electoral commission was due to announce the results of a presidential election.

• The reduction in electoral constituencies could curb the influence of parties with strong local bases said Manuel said Nobre de Barros, a professor at Lusofona University in Guinea Bissau. More broadly, the reforms would alter the balance of power between the president and the legislature, de Barros said. "The changes give the president absolute power under the new constitution, with no political opposition," he said.

• The constitution would require presidential candidates to have resided permanently in Guinea-Bissau for the previous five years, a condition not included in the current constitution, which requires candidates to be Guinean citizens by birth, at least 35 years old and in full possession of civil and political rights. REUTERS