Guinea’s military Government has established a new electoral Authority, the Directorate General of Elections (DGE), to oversee the country’s transition back to civilian rule.
Announced by junta leader Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya via State television over the weekend, the DGE will be responsible for organizing all electoral activities, managing the electoral register, and ensuring transparency. The creation of this body comes amid mounting pressure from opposition groups following the junta’s failure to meet its earlier commitment to hold elections by December 2024.
The DGE is expected to play a central role in managing two critical national exercises: a constitutional referendum set for 21 September 2025 and general and presidential elections scheduled for December the same year. Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah confirmed these dates last month, reiterating the junta’s revised roadmap for returning Guinea to democratic governance. The new body will also serve as Guinea’s official representative to electoral bodies at the subregional, regional, and international levels.
Guinea, which has been under military rule since a 2021 coup, is one of several West African nations facing scrutiny for delayed democratic transitions. The junta’s missed deadlines have sparked civil unrest, including widespread protests in the capital, Conakry, earlier this year. The formation of the DGE is viewed as a key step towards rebuilding political credibility, though concerns remain about the independence and impartiality of the electoral process, particularly as the heads of the DGE will be appointed directly by presidential decree.