Guineans began casting ballots Sunday on a draft constitution that would pave the way for elections but also permit the junta leader who seized power four years ago to run for president, in a referendum boycotted by the opposition.

The vote, which Guineans and the international community have been awaiting for years, opens the way for stalled political elections in the West African nation. The country has been ruled by General Mamady Doumbouya since he overthrew elected civilian president Alpha Conde in 2021.

Some 6.7 million Guineans will be able to cast a ballot, out of a population of approximately 14.5 million people. There was a heavy security presence on the streets of Conakry as polls opened Sunday morning, with armoured vehicles and police checkpoints inspecting vehicles in the city centre. At a school in the capital’s Kaloum district, several dozen people queued as polls monitored by security forces opened at 7 am (0700 GMT), according to AFP journalists.

“I came to vote of my own free will,” said 23-year-old student Ahmad Diallo, with his voter card in hand. “This is what everyone is waiting for: to have peace and we want the transition to end.” First time voter Aisha Camara, 20, told AFP she believed the new constitution was “a good thing for Guinea” adding that she “came to support President Doumbouya”.

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