Guinea-Bissau has delayed its December 6 elections, with the prime minister saying “there are no conditions” to hold the vote. Here is what lies behind the decision.

Political parties never held congresses to choose leaders, and candidates missed an October 6 deadline to file with the Supreme Court. Without candidates, no election can run.

The deeper cause is the November 2025 military coup, when soldiers toppled President Umaro Sissoco Embalo before results were announced. The regional bloc ECOWAS suspended the country and demanded a return to civilian rule.

An August referendum then approved a new constitution expanding presidential powers, though the opposition boycotted it. Last week, the military blocked Embalo from returning home. No new election date has been set.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the world’s most coup-prone countries, with nine successful or attempted takeovers since 1974. Drug trafficking through its islands has long fuelled instability.

The country’s future now hangs on whether a new vote can be organised.