• Guinea sets presidential election for Dec. 28, 2025
• New constitution allows junta members, including Doumbouya, to run
• Key parties suspended amid vote buildup, tensions remain high

Guinea has scheduled its next presidential election for Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, according to a presidential decree. The vote marks a decisive step in the country's process of returning to constitutional rule after several years of military transition.

The announcement follows the final validation of results from a constitutional referendum, in which the new Constitution was overwhelmingly approved with 89.38 percent of the vote against 10.62 percent opposed. Crucially, the new fundamental text, which replaces the Transitional Charter, eliminates the provision banning members of the ruling junta from running for office, potentially clearing the way for a candidacy by General Mamadi Doumbouya.

While the election announcement signals institutional progress, it occurs amid a strained political climate. In late August 2025, the military regime suspended the activities of three major political parties—Cellou Dalein Diallo's UFDG, Alpha Condé's RPG, and Sidya Touré's UFR—prohibiting them from holding any public meetings, demonstrations, or campaigns for three months.

International institutions view Guinea's return to constitutional order as a key step toward reviving budget support, restoring investor confidence, and stabilizing ongoing reforms.

In a related development, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) assigned Guinea its first-ever sovereign credit rating on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, giving it a "B+" long-term and "B" short-term rating with a stable outlook. The rating could potentially facilitate Conakry's access to international financial markets under more favorable borrowing conditions. The agency projects average GDP growth of close to 10 percent between 2026 and 2028, driven primarily by the mining sector.

Ingrid Haffiny