Guinea-Bissau’s planned December presidential and legislative elections are facing uncertainty after the National Electoral Commission warned that the conditions needed to hold the polls are not in place.
No official postponement has been announced, and no revised date has been provided. The commission’s warning leaves the election timetable in doubt as political and security tensions continue to build in the West African country.
Senegal urges political opening
Senegal, which is mediating on behalf of ECOWAS, has called on Guinea-Bissau’s military rulers to remove restrictions affecting political and civil activities.
Senegal also urged all sides, including the military leadership, to take part in constructive dialogue, show restraint and place national interests first. It said any adjustment to the electoral calendar should result from an inclusive and transparent process.
According to Senegal’s position, any change must also include clear guarantees for a return to civilian rule. The call comes as regional efforts focus on addressing the political impasse without closing the path back to constitutional government.
Electoral process suspended
Guinea-Bissau has been under military control since November 2025, when soldiers overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspended the electoral process.
The takeover occurred one day before provisional election results were expected. Since then, the country’s political transition has remained unresolved, while the scheduled presidential and legislative elections have continued to face uncertainty.
The National Electoral Commission has not identified which specific conditions are lacking. The available information also does not indicate whether a formal decision to delay the elections has been taken.
For now, the December timetable remains officially unaltered, even as the commission warns that the necessary circumstances for voting are not in place. Senegal’s mediation on behalf of ECOWAS is seeking a process that addresses the restrictions on political and civil activity and provides assurances over a return to civilian rule.
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