Guinea holds a long-awaited referendum on Sunday on a new constitution, widely seen as a step towards elections and the return to civilian rule.
Voting centres are scheduled to close at 6 p.m (1800 GMT) after opening at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT). It is unclear when the final results will be announced.
The new constitution would lengthen the presidential term from five years to seven, renewable once, and create a Senate, with one-third of senators directly appointed by the president.
In the final days of campaigning, the capital Conakry was dotted with small white posters featuring the word "Yes" next to a green checkmark.
Guinea, which is home to the world's largest reserves of bauxite, is expected to hold its presidential election in December after the government missed a 2024 deadline.
Third-best economy
The interim leader Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a military coup in 2021, has not said yet whether he intends to run for office.
A transition charter adopted by his government after it took power said its members would be barred from standing in the next election.
Sunday’s referendum seems likely to pass because the two main opposition leaders, Cellou Dalein Diallo and deposed former President Alpha Conde, have called for a boycott of the vote. Their parties are currently suspended.
The government has denied any role in recent disappearances of its critics but has vowed to investigate such allegations.
On Thursday, S&P Global Ratings assigned Guinea its first-ever sovereign rating, B+ with a stable outlook. This makes Guinea the third best-rated economy in West Africa, according to the ratings agency.
