Guinea's Supreme Court on Friday confirmed the result of a referendum to approve a new constitution in the junta-ruled country, saying it was backed by an overwhelming majority of voters. The final tallies – 89.38% in favor and 10.62% against – confirmed the provisional vote results announced on Tuesday evening.
Opposition parties had called on voters to boycott last Sunday's referendum, accusing General Mamady Doumbouya of using it to stay in power. Earlier on Friday, they had filed a request to the court to annul the result. The request was rejected.
The court's confirmation paves the way for elections to be held in December. The signs suggest that Doumbouya will run for the presidency, despite an earlier promise that he would not.
Guinea, an impoverished nation in West Africa, has long been blighted by coups and violence from authoritarian regimes.
When the military toppled president Alpha Conde in 2021, they initially said they would return the country to civilian rule by 2024, before reneging on that commitment.
On Thursday, United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on the military regime to lift bans on opposition parties and media outlets. He also criticized what he said was a broader assault on fundamental rights in Guinea since the coup, referring to a rise in arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances.