Guinea-Bissau: Reform electoral laws

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), developed for the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), analyzes the electoral legal framework of Guinea-Bissau. It identifies deficiencies in the coordination between electoral bodies, the financial independence of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), and the lack of demographic updates in parliamentary seat allocation. The document recommends comprehensive reforms to the electoral laws and the Constitution to improve transparency, integrity, and the eventual implementation of local elections.

• There is a significant lack of coordination and a confusing division of responsibilities between the National Electoral Commission (NEC), which manages voting, and the Technical Support Office for the Electoral Process (GTAPE), which manages the electoral census under the Ministry of Territorial Administration.
• The NEC's independence is compromised by its financial dependence on the National People’s Assembly (NPA), which controls the release of resources. To remedy this, it is recommended that the NEC be granted direct access to an annual allocation within the national budget.
• The current allocation of parliamentary seats does not reflect updated demographic data, leading to unequal representation. For example, the ratio varies from one deputy per 4,370 voters in Gabu to one per 19,061 voters in Bissau.
• To increase transparency and combat fraud, the document suggests reforming voter registration to require a minimum number of witnesses (e.g., three) for citizens without identity cards and publishing detailed results for every individual polling station rather than just centralized constituency results.
• While international election observation is regulated by a 1994 law, there is no legal framework for national observation by civil society organizations (CSOs). The document recommends amending the law to include national CSOs.
• Local elections, though provided for in the Constitution since 1994, have never been held. Local authorities are currently appointed by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Local Government, limiting local democracy.
• The Constitution's 60-day window for holding early presidential elections following a vacancy (such as the President's death) is considered too short for the electoral system and census to become operational.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2018). Guinea-Bissau: Reform electoral laws. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-2-eng.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Guinea-Bissau: Reform electoral laws. 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-2-eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Guinea-Bissau: Reform electoral laws |date=May 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-2-eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2018guineabissau, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Guinea-Bissau: Reform electoral laws}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/policybrief-guineabissau-2-eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }