Guinea’s military government has temporarily banned three leading political parties, including that of former President Alpha Condé, for three months just before a constitutional referendum. The suspension, confirmed in an order obtained by AFP on Saturday, comes as opposition groups and civil society plan protests starting September 5 to challenge what they see as a power grab by junta leader General Mamadi Doumbouya.

The affected parties are Condé’s Rally of the Guinean People, the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea led by former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo, and the Party of Renewal and Progress. The official statement cited these parties’ failure to meet required obligations.

The junta also postponed the start of the referendum campaign by a week, moving it to August 31. The vote, scheduled for September 21, will decide on a revised constitution intended to return Guinea to civilian rule, although it is not clear whether Doumbouya could run in upcoming elections.

Doumbouya seized power in September 2021 through a coup that removed Condé, who had governed Guinea for ten years. Since then, the military government has banned public demonstrations and targeted opposition figures through arrests, prosecutions, and forcing some into exile.

A transition charter initially barred members of the junta and government officials from running for office, but the new constitution could eliminate that restriction, raising concerns about the fairness of future elections in a country with a long history of authoritarian rule.