00:01Voters in Guinea-Bissau went to the polls this Sunday for a referendum that could grant
00:06the president sweeping new powers, a vote held under a military junta that seized control
00:11in a coup less than 10 months ago. Turnout was low in some neighborhoods when polling
00:16stations opened at 7am. The junta has already approved a constitutional amendment shifting
00:22the country from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Under the old system, the prime minister
00:28was chosen by a parliamentary majority, an arrangement that often led to power struggles.
00:33The new system would let the president appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet and
00:39dissolve parliament. But the process is mired in controversy. The opposition says there was no
00:45public consultation and claims the amendment was already published in the official gazette before
00:49voters even went to the polls, prompting calls for a boycott. Polls closed at 5pm and first results are
00:57expected on Tuesday.
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