Presidential election: 28 December 2025
Legislative (general) elections: Scheduled for December 2025
Guinea
Guinea became the first of France’s sub-Saharan African colonies to gain full independence on October 2, 1958, rejecting membership in France’s “French Community” with Ahmed Sékou Touré becoming its first president. Touré later established a one-party state under the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG) that persisted until his death in 1984
200M+
Population
103:100
Men-Women Ratio
25%
Women Representation
Overview
Guinea became the first of France’s sub-Saharan African colonies to gain full independence on October 2, 1958, rejecting membership in France’s “French Community” with Ahmed Sékou Touré becoming its first president. Touré later established a one-party state under the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG) that persisted until his death in 1984. A new constitution in 1991 paved the way for multiparty democracy, introducing a civilian presidency and a unicameral National Assembly; the first multiparty elections followed in 1993.
Under its 2020 Constitution, Guinea became a unitary republic featuring a semi-presidential system: a directly elected President limited to two six-year terms, a presidentially appointed Prime Minister, and a unicameral National Assembly elected for five-year terms, supported by various high courts, including a Constitutional Court.
However, in September 2021, a military coup led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya overthrew President Alpha Condé, suspended the constitution, and established a transitional governing body, the CNRD, as the country’s authority. Guinea is currently governed under a transitional charter with a junta-led National Transitional Council in place.
Key Political Transitions & Governance Trajectory
– 1991: Transition to multiparty democracy initiated under a new constitution.
– 2020: New constitution approved through a referendum; extended presidential term to six years.
– 2021: Col. Mamady Doumbouya orchestrated a coup, abolishing constitutional rule and dissolving democratic institutions.
– 2022–2024: Transition period unfolds with growing authoritarian control, dissolution of political parties, and suppression of civil society.
– 2025: The junta sets a constitutional referendum for September 21 and plans presidential and legislative elections for December 2025, managed through a newly created election body, the Directorate General of Elections (DGE), amid ongoing concerns over democratic integrity.
Upcoming Elections
December 28, 2025
General Elections
Scheduled
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Participation Metrics
Voter Turnout
In the constitutional referendum held on 21 September 2025, the provisional turnout was very high. According to DGE data, 4,825,292 voters participated out of the 6.77 million registered, giving a 91.4% participation rate.
Registered Voters
As of August 28, 2025, Guinea’s biometric electoral register has 6,768,458 registered voters. These voters are distributed across 16,722 voting centers and 23,662 polling stations. There is also a diaspora component, over 125,000 Guineans abroad are registered.
Gender
Among the 6,768,458 registered, 52.26% are women and 47.74% are men. So women slightly outnumber men on the electoral rolls.
Key Electoral Institutions
Political parties and the National Assembly
Political parties and the National Assembly are crucial to the functioning of Mauritania’s electoral system, even though they are not direct management bodies. Political parties mobilize citizens, nominate candidates, and monitor elections through agents and observers. The National Assembly contributes by debating and enacting electoral laws, shaping the legal framework within which CENI and other institutions operate. Together, they provide democratic oversight and ensure political pluralism in the electoral environment.
Contact Information
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Constitutional Council
They serve as the highest judicial authority on electoral and constitutional matters in Mauritania. It validates and proclaims final election results, particularly for presidential and parliamentary elections, and confirms the eligibility of presidential candidates. The Council also adjudicates electoral disputes, ensuring that elections comply with the constitution and legal framework. Its rulings are final and binding, giving it a central role in safeguarding the integrity and legitimacy of electoral outcomes.
Contact Information
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Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI)
This is Mauritania’s principal body responsible for organizing and supervising all elections, including presidential, parliamentary, regional, and municipal polls. It operates as an autonomous institution mandated to ensure transparency, neutrality, and fairness in the electoral process. CENI oversees voter registration, monitors campaign conduct, manages the logistics of voting and counting, and announces provisional results. Its members are appointed through political consensus, typically representing both ruling and opposition parties, to reinforce public confidence and political balance.
Contact Information
- Headquarters: Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante (CENI) of Mauritania
- Mailing Address: B.P. 4550, Nouakchott, Mauritania
- Hotline: +222 45 24 15 40
- Email: ceni@ceni.mr
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Direction Générale des Élections (DGE)
The DGE is the main new electoral management body in Guinea, created by decree in 2025. It is responsible for organising elections (both elections and referendums), maintaining and managing the electoral register, and guaranteeing aspects of electoral fairness. The DGE also represents Guinea in regional and international electoral organisations.
Contact Information
- Headquarters: Direction Générale des Élections (DGE)
- Mailing Address: Based in Conakry, Commune de Dixinn
- Hotline: +224 628 00 00 00
- Email: contact@dge.gov.gn
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Judiciary (Election Petitions)
The High Court of The Gambia hears election petitions. (Election Petition Rules 1976 govern the process.)
Contact Information
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Electoral Laws & Policies
New Electoral Code, 2025
https://www.africaguinee.com/nombre-de-deputes-senat-ce-que-dit-le-nouveau-code-electoral-adopte-par-le-cnt/
Decrees Attributing Electoral Management to the DGE (2025)
A decree in June 2025 assigns the organization of elections to the new Direction Générale des Élections (DGE). This reflects a recent institutional reform, the DGE is now at the center of election administration, replacing or taking over some roles previously held by the CENI, especially under the transitional government.
Guinée : L’organisation des élections attribuée à la Direction Générale des Élections (décret)
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Election Result Platform
How To Monitor Elections In
Guinea
Key Actors
For the 2025 elections, Guinea’s electoral management body is the Direction Générale des Élections (DGE), established in June 2025 to replace the former Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). It is responsible for organizing, managing, and following up on elections in the country, including preparing voter registers and managing election logistics.
Local civil society organizations often play a central role in observing elections: they recruit and train citizen observers, monitor campaign environments, and report on voter registration and polling station conditions. These groups must be accredited to operate formally inside polling stations and official electoral venues.
Regional and international bodies are often invited to observe elections. The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) routinely deploys teams to Guinea to monitor campaigns, Election Day procedures, and early result processes. Such missions include ambassadors, civil society representatives, election professionals, and academics to give a comprehensive assessment of the electoral environment. ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) also deploys observers, including medium-term and short-term teams, to assess the electoral process from preparatory stages through voting and counting.
Accreditation and Legal Framework
Accreditation is mandatory. To be recognized legally as an election observer in Guinea, observer organizations (both domestic and international) must be officially accredited by the appropriate electoral authorities before Election Day. Accreditation confirms an observer’s right to be present at polling stations, voter registration centers, vote counting venues, and other electoral operations, and is typically issued based on an official application from the organization.
Observation in Guinea is linked to national electoral legislation and the overall election administration framework. The legal framework defines the roles and rights of observers and how observation missions must operate.
In 2025, Guinea’s Direction Générale des Élections (DGE) oversaw these aspects after being created by presidential decree, replacing the CENI structure that previously organized elections.
International missions generally operate by invitation from the Guinean government or electoral authorities, which outlines their scope and access permissions.
Preparation and Planning
Observation teams determine what they will observe e.g. campaign environment, voter registration, polling procedures, how they will collect data (forms, checklists, digital tools), and what standards they will use , which must align with international best practice frameworks like the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation or the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG).