Guinea’s population approves a new constitution
On Tuesday evening, Guina’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Ibrahima Kalil Condé, announced the official preliminary results of the constitutional referendum. According to these results, around 89.4 percent of voters approved the draft of a new constitution on Sunday. The opposition had previously called for a boycott of the referendum. Nevertheless, according to official figures, voter turnout was around 86.4 percent. The Supreme Court is expected to announce the final results by the end of the week. The referendum is regarded as an important step in the transition process back to civilian rule following the military coup in 2021 (Press Review KW 36/2021) .
The new constitution contains a number of institutional and political changes. Among other things, it strengthens citizens’ right to petition. In future, eligible voters will be able to submit a petition within 30 days to object to constitutional amendments proposed by the president. They will also have the right to submit a petition to parliament to impeach the president for high treason. Furthermore, the draft constitution provides for an extension of presidential terms from five to seven years. A bicameral system will be introduced in the legislature, with one-third of the members of the newly created Senate being appointed by the president. In addition, independent candidates will also be allowed to run for election in the future, provided they meet the requirements for candidacy. A key change concerns the previous rules for members of the ruling military junta, who will now be allowed to run for political office, unlike under the transitional constitution. This means that interim president and junta leader Mamadi Doumbouya, who has been in power since the military coup, could also officially run as a candidate in the presidential elections. Although Doumbouya has not yet officially announced his candidacy, many consider his participation in the presidential election a certainty. Large parts of the opposition therefore see the new constitution primarily as an attempt by the military junta to cement its power and have called for a boycott of the referendum.
The opposition also criticizes the government’s repressive treatment of dissenting opinions and accuses the transitional government of influencing the voting process and making it non-transparent. Numerous opposition politicians are in prison or in exile, and many parties were banned in the run-up to the election. Human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch have criticized the closure of media outlets, the disappearance of government opponents, and the restriction of fundamental freedoms. Demonstrations have been banned since 2022. In addition, opposition observers were excluded from polling stations. Doubts were also expressed about the results, as the votes were counted and transmitted by personnel appointed by the junta. The national observation mission ONASUR, which was only appointed 72 hours before the election, reported organizational shortcomings such as a lack of ballots and envelopes in some polling stations.
The referendum was accompanied by extensive security measures. Around 45,000 security personnel were deployed. The airspace was closed, traffic was severely restricted, and internet access was temporarily blocked. Despite criticism, the observation missions of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stated in a joint statement that the referendum had been conducted properly. Guinea is currently suspended from both the AU and ECOWAS. Many see the participation of regional observer missions as an attempt by the transitional government to normalize and strengthen its relations with regional and international organizations – especially after the deadline agreed with ECOWAS for elections by the end of 2024 passed. On Thursday, the transitional government announced that parliamentary and presidential elections will be held this year.
Mutharika wins presidential election in Malawi
On Wednesday, Malawi’s electoral commission officially declared Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) the winner of the presidential election. Mutharika, who already held the presidency from 2014 to 2020, received 56.8 per cent of the vote, giving him an absolute majority in the first round, while incumbent Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) received 33 per cent. Joyce Banda, Malawi’s president from 2012 to 2014 and candidate for the People’s Party (PP), received only 1.6 per cent. A total of 17 candidates stood for election on 16 September, with voter turnout at 76 per cent. According to observers, the election was already considered a two-horse race between 70-year-old Chakwera and 85-year-old Mutharika in the run-up to the vote.
Chakwera conceded defeat two hours before the official announcement. In a television address, he mentioned ‘irregularities’ and ‘anomalies’ but emphasised that these had not affected the overall result. He called on the electoral commission to ensure a transparent investigation but announced an orderly handover of power. The United Democratic Front also announced its intention to lodge a formal complaint about serious irregularities in the counting process, without specifying the allegations in detail. In the capital Lilongwe, eight election workers were arrested on suspicion of data manipulation. Nevertheless, international observers reported that the election had been peaceful overall. Mutharika’s supporters were already celebrating in the capital on Wednesday. The African Union and regional organisations welcomed the largely peaceful conduct of the election, praised the transfer of power as a sign of democratic maturity and called on both sides to uphold the principles of the rule of law.
In terms of content, the election campaign was dominated by Malawi’s economic situation, which has not recovered sustainably since the Covid-19 pandemic. This was compounded by natural disasters such as cyclones and droughts, which repeatedly led to crop failures. Inflation has been above 20 per cent for years, and according to the World Bank, three-quarters of the population live on less than three US dollars a day, with young people particularly affected by unemployment. Critics accuse Chakwera’s government of failing to find answers to these challenges and of not pursuing a clear political course. Progress in the fight against corruption, one of Chakwera’s key election promises, has also been slow. Accordingly, Mutharika, who was credited with successes in infrastructure projects and fighting inflation during his first term, came to power with the promise of improving living conditions. These include stabilising the national currency, the Kwacha, creating one million jobs for young people and measures to improve food security. At the same time, his term in office was overshadowed by allegations of nepotism.
Mutharika and his 69-year-old vice-presidential candidate Jane Ansah are to be sworn in within 30 days after the announcement of the official results. This is Malawi’s third consecutive democratic transfer of power. In 2020, Mutharika lost a historic re-run election to Chakwera after the Constitutional Court declared the 2019 presidential election invalid due to serious irregularities. Chakwera thus became the first opposition candidate in an African country to win a judicial re-run election.
In other news
The 20th World Athletics Championships came to an end in Tokyo on Sunday. Athletes from Kenya secured second place in the medal table behind the United States winning a total of 11 medals, including seven gold. Alongside Kenya, Botswana also stood out this year, finishing fifth in the final standings alongside Spain, New Zealand and Sweden, each with two gold medals and one bronze medal. The team of Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi contributed significantly to this success. In the men’s 4×400-metre relay, they surprisingly prevailed over the USA, which had won nine of the last ten world titles in this discipline. South Africa secured its only medal with third place in this race. Alphonce Simbu brought home a gold medal in the marathon for Tanzania – his country’s first in this discipline. Ethiopia was only able to build on its success of previous years to a limited extent, finishing the Games with two silver and two bronze medals, while Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria each won a silver medal. While the next World Championships will be held in Beijing in 2027, once again in Asia, Kenya would like to bring the event to Africa. Last week, the country officially submitted its bid to host the 2029 or 2031 World Athletics Championships in Nairobi. The Kenyan capital has applied to host the event several times in the past, but without success.