Guinea-Bissau: Main opposition parties reject the August 30 referendum

As the constitutional referendum called by the military authorities approaches, the opposition in Guinea-Bissau is standing united. API-CG, COLIDE-GB, and PAIGC unanimously reject the August 30th vote, denouncing an "illegitimate" process marked by fraud, exclusion, and the attempt to legitimize by force a constitution imposed after the coup d'état of November 26, 2025.

Protests are growing in Guinea-Bissau. The Inclusive Patriotic Alliance – Cabaz Garandi (API-CG), in a statement signed by Jorge Mário Fernandes on August 21, 2026, is calling on the population to boycott the referendum. The coalition believes that the "New Constitution" was promulgated without popular legitimacy and that the vote is merely an attempt to give it a democratic veneer. It denounces the existence of two contradictory versions of Referendum Law No. 12/2026, one requiring a participation quorum, the other removing this requirement. According to the API-CG, this amendment "demonstrates that major fraud concerning the referendum results is planned."

The National Convergence for Freedom and Development Party (COLIDE-GB), led by Juliano Augusto Fernandes, joins this line of rejection. In its statement, it advocates for the suspension of the process and the implementation of an Inclusive National Dialogue (DINAC). According to the party, the dissolution of Parliament in December 2023 and the successive crises reveal the flaws in the national democratic culture. The DINAC, the party insists, is essential for building consensus, defining a political agenda, and guaranteeing the transparency of electoral and referendum processes.

The PAIGC, the historic independence party, completes this front of protest. Its spokesperson, Muniro Conté, denounces the exclusion of political parties from the referendum process and the closure of their offices. "There's no point in participating in a game from which we've been excluded by the regime," he asserts. The PAIGC also accuses the government of rigging the process by controlling polling stations and eliminating mechanisms for filing complaints.

In a climate of restrictions on civil liberties, the Guinean opposition is displaying a rare unity. API-CG, COLIDE-GB, and PAIGC are united in their rejection of the August 30 referendum, which they consider an attempt to legalize a constitutional order imposed by force. Their call for a boycott aims to delegitimize a consultation they deem contrary to the principles of popular sovereignty, pluralism, and democracy.