1972 Portuguese Guinea National Assembly election

1972 Portuguese Guinea National Assembly election

August–October 1972

91 of 120 seats of the National Assembly
61 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/–
PAIGC Amílcar Cabral 96.97 91 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results by region

Indirect elections to a National Assembly were held in the parts of Portuguese Guinea held by the rebel African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) between August and October 1972,[7] but not in the Portuguese-controlled areas of Bissau, Bolama, the Bijagós Islands and Bafatá.[8]

A single list of PAIGC candidates for Regional Councils was approved by 97% of voters with a 93.4% turnout.[9] The number of people voting was approximately 32% of the voting-age population.[10]

Electoral system

Voters elected 273 members of 11 regional councils. The elected councillors then convened to elect 91 members of the 120-seat National Assembly. The remaining 29 seats were to represent the four regions still under Portuguese control, and these members were chosen by the PAIGC.[7]

The elections took six weeks, with ballot papers carried around the country on foot. The ballot papers had been printed in neighbouring Guinea.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde75,16396.97120
Against2,3523.03
Total77,515100.00120
Registered voters/turnout83,000
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

The new National Assembly met for the first time in Boe on 24 September 1973.[7]

References

  1. ^ https://africa.com/guinea-bissau-junta-adopts-transitional-charter/
  2. ^ https://www.africanews.com/2025/12/07/guinea-bissau-military-forms-national-transitional-council-after-coup//
  3. ^ https://www.africanews.com/2025/12/07/guinea-bissau-military-forms-national-transitional-council-after-coup//
  4. ^ https://www.anews.com.tr/world/2025/12/16/ecowas-rejects-guinea-bissaus-military-junta-transition-program
  5. ^ https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-bissaus-transitional-military-adopts-charter-barring-leaders-elections-2025-12-10/#:~:text=The%20coup%20came%20one%20day,election%20scheduled%20for%20December%2028
  6. ^ https://africa.com/guinea-bissau-junta-adopts-transitional-charter/
  7. ^ a b c Michael Cowen & Liisa Laakso (2002) Multi-party Elections in Africa, James Currey Publishers, p108
  8. ^ Elections in Guinea-Bissau African Elections Database
  9. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p466 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
  10. ^ Cowen & Laakso, p109