Guinea’s junta suspends three major Political Parties ahead of election

The military junta in Guinea has suspended three major opposition political parties, including the party of former President Alpha Condé, just weeks before a national referendum on a proposed new constitution.

A military order made public on Saturday and obtained by AFP announced that the suspension will last for three months.

The affected parties are the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG), led by ousted president Alpha Condé; the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), headed by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo; and the Party of Renewal and Progress (PRP).

The junta claimed the parties failed to meet certain unspecified obligations.

The decision comes ahead of anti-junta demonstrations planned for September 5 by political groups and civil society organizations who accuse junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya of attempting to retain power under the guise of constitutional reform.

The referendum on the new constitution is scheduled for September 21.

However, in a televised announcement on Friday, the junta delayed the beginning of the campaign period from August 24 to August 31.

The draft constitution, presented to Doumbouya in June, has sparked criticism that it could allow him to extend his time in power or even run for election despite a prior transition charter barring coup leaders from contesting future votes.

Since taking power in September 2021, Doumbouya’s government has banned protests and targeted opposition figures with arrests, prosecutions, or forced exile.

While the proposed constitution signals a possible return to civilian rule, observers remain uncertain whether the junta genuinely intends to step aside.