Ballot counting began in military-run Guinea-Bissau as voting ended in Sunday’s referendum, which could give the president more powers ahead of a general election meant to restore civilian rule later this year.
Security was stepped up at strategic points in the capital, with members of the national guard and the police stationed at key locations.
Voting booths closed as planned at 5:00 pm local time (1700 GMT), with the first provisional results due on Tuesday.
Idrissa Djalo, executive secretary of the National Electoral Commission, told a press briefing Sunday evening that turnout had “exceeded” 55 percent.
The commission believes that “on the whole, voting took place without any incidents that would call into question the credibility of the vote”, he added.
The referendum came less than 10 months after a coup in which the military seized power in the impoverished Portuguese-speaking west African country.
Shopkeeper Halimatou Traore told journalists she hoped the new constitution would bring positive changes.
“The successive crises the country has gone through have had a very negative impact on my earnings,” she said as she waited to vote. “If everything goes well, Guinea-Bissau will set off on new paths.”
Braima Seidy, 76, a veteran of the war of independence against Portugal, emerged smiling from the polling booth.
“I truly believe that this new Constitution can bring stability to the country,” he told said.