: 
Guinean Legal System and Research
By Ibrahima Sidibe
Ibrahima Sidibe is Professeur de Droit at the Université General Lansana Conte de Sonfonia-Conakry, Departement Droit Public Et d'Anglais, Centre Universitaire de Kindia, Kindia, Republique de Guinee, West Africa.
Published March 2008
Table of contents
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning
Ministry
of Interior and Security
Ministry of economic and
financial control, the ethics and transparency
Ministry of social affairs, the status of women and children
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Cooperation and the African Integration and of Guineans abroad
Ministry of transports
Ministry of Education and Scientific Research
Ministry of Agriculture, Breeding, Environment and Water and Forests
Ministry
of Employment, of the Public Service and Reform of the Administration
Ministry of Communication
and New Technologies of Information
Ministry of Fishing and Aquaculture
Ministry of Justice
and Human Rights
Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Tourism
and Handcrafts
Ministry of Energy and The Hydraulic
Ministry
of Youth, Culture and Sports
Ministry of Public Works, Urban Development
and Housing
General Secretariat of Government
General Secretariat of Religious Affairs
Organization of the National of Assembly
Procedures of electing Members of Parliament
Prerogative of the National Assembly
Functioning of the National Assembly
Tribunal of the First Instance
Chamber of Arbitration of Guinea
Appeal for Annulment or Cassation
Jurisdiction in Civil Proceedings
Means of Redress in Civil Proceedings
Taking issue with a Judge ‘prise à partie’
Guinean law publishers, Law schools and Websites
The Guinean Constitution known as the Fundamental Law adopted in referendum, December 23rd, 1990 and promulgated by the Presidential Decree n#250/PRG of December 31,1990 and amended in referendum, November 11, 2001 is the one in force. It has 96 articles regrouped in 12 titles (Chapters): Title I, the Sovereignty; Title II, the Rights, Fundamental Freedoms and duties; Title III, the President of the Republic, Title IV, the National Assembly; Title V, Relationship between the President of the Republic and the National Assembly; Title VI, Treaties and International Accords; Title VII, the Judicial power; Title VIII, the High Court of Justice; Title IX, Economic and Social Council; Title X, Local governments; Title XI, Constitutional Review; Title XII, Transitional Provisions.
This Constitution has some particularities that need to be mentioned[1]: it, as reviewed on November 11, 2001, asserts Guinea’s adhesion to the ideals and principles of the United Nations, the Charter of the Organization of the African Unity (now, the African Union), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It guarantees the separation of powers and dedicates 18 articles to the rights and duties of the citizens. The Presidential power is comparatively exorbitant. It provides no position of Prime Minister, even though we have witnessed the nomination of four different Prime Ministers by the present President of the Republic, General Lansana Conte, who came to power through a military Coup d’Etat, April 3rd, 1984. It provides for the possibility of the National Assembly being dissolved by the President of the Republic.
This makes difficult to determine the political regime of Guinea with regard to the classical regimes such as presidential regime and parliamentary regime, even though it is regularly associated to the former. We know that the presidential regime is characterized by a rigid separation of powers, none of which can dissolve the other. In Guinea, the President of the Republic is naturally preponderating like any other presidential regime, but here he has the capacity of dissolving the parliament after the rejection of his proposed bill. However, after the election of the new parliamentary, if the new Members of the Parliament adopt the same position as the previous ones, the President of the Republic will have to resign.
Those specificities of the Guinean regime make it a little different from the presidential regime to which it is associated. To be associated does not mean to be the same.
This Constitution, as mentioned before, provides for the separation of the powers of Government. As it will be observed there are discrepancies in this separation, hence the necessity of discussing the powers of the Government.
This work shall mainly be built around three parts: Executive power (I); the Legislative power (II) with annex; and the Judicial power (III) with annex; to be completed by the Guinean law publishers, Law schools and Websites (IV)
It is led by the President of the Republic who is elected for seven years unlimitedly renewable and eventually a Prime Minister.
His status and prerogative are provided by the Constitution
1 Status of the President of the Republic
He is the first personality of the State; he is politically no responsible for acts accomplished in exercise of his duties. He can only be brought to justice (the High Court) for high treason (Haute trahison). In case of vacancy of power (for impeachment, physical incapacity or death), the President of the National Assembly (the Speaker of the Parliament) takes over as the interim President. If the latter is also impeached, physically incapable or dies, one of the four Vice-Presidents of the National Assembly by order of precedence is designated to be the interim President.
The interim President will exercise the power for not more than sixty days during which fresh Presidential election will be held. Within that period the Interim President cannot hold any referendum, he can neither dissolve the National Assembly nor take the initiative of the constitutional amendment. He cannot exercise the Presidential pardon.
The former Presidents of the Republic come after the President in Office in official ranks. They are, by right, members of the Economic and Social Council.
2 Prerogative of the President of the Republic
He is the custodian of the Constitution, the guarantor of the national independence, territorial integrity and the respect of international treaties. He appoints Guinean diplomatic representatives and receives foreign ambassadors accredited in Guinea. He is the head of the army and exercises exceptional authorities. He can submit to referendum bills in limitedly determined areas for adoption. He can take the initiative of bills to be submitted to the parliament and the constitutional review. He appoints and dismisses Ministers and other administrative officials; determines and conducts general policies of the nation. He has at his disposal the authority of regulation He can dissolve the National Assembly once certain conditions are met. He has authority of executive clemency. He is the President of the Superior Council of the Judges. He has the authority of seisin the Supreme Court for the control of constitutionality of laws. He appoints the President of the Supreme Court, the President of the National Council of the Communication as well the President of the Economic and Social Council. His Mandate is incompatible with any other occupation, be it public or private.
The Guinean Constitution, as mentioned before, does not expressly provided for the position of Prime Minister, however Guinea has had since the taking over of the power by the army four different Prime Ministers. They have been appointed on two main grounds.
1 Article 39 of the Fundamental Law
This Article stipulates that the President of the Republic appoints Ministers…He can determine by decree the prerogative of every Minister. He can delegate part of his authorities. The ideologists interpreted this article as allowing the President of the Republic to appoint a Prime Minister to assist him in carrying out his responsibilities.
A jurist consult, M. Alhassan Makanera KAKE stated that the constitutional practices in Guinea combined with the interpretation of article 39 gives the constitutional ground for the post of Prime Minister in Guinea.[2]
The constitutional practices show that Prime Ministers have been appointed without the position being provided by the Constitution. For instance the Presidential decree 113/72/PRG of April 26 1972 appointed a Prime Minister who was not the Head of government. After the change of Regime in 1984 through a Coup d’Etat, a Prime Minister, Head government was appointed. The post was to be scratched out on December 18, 1984 to be re-established by Presidential decree n# D96/098/PRG/SGG of July 9, 1996, the Prime Minister, Mr. Sidia Toure, being in charge of Economy and Finance portfolio. Later in 1999, a new Prime Minister, Lamine Sidime, was appointed only to be responsible of coordinating the actions of the government. In 2004 another Prime Minister, Francois Lounseny Fall, was appointed but resigned few months later.
All these Prime Ministers except the one before the adoption of the Constitution, as observed, were appointed on the ground of article 39. But the current Prime Minister, Lansana Kouyate was appointed on different ground.
2 The general strike of the beginning of 2007
At the beginning of the year 2007, Guinea was confronted with a general strike she had never pictured in the recent history of the nation. According to the report of Human rights organization, it claimed about 183 lives including largely among civilians. It was called up by the main Trade Unions. The agreement reached on the January 27, 2007 quelling the unrest provided for the appointment of a Prime Minister, Head of government. The government was consequently restructured from 32 cabinet Ministers to 18 and 3 General Secretariats.
Here is the composition of that government, known as the Government of large consensus, as stipulated by the Presidential decree D/2007/ 041/PRG/SGG of March 14, 2007, published in the Journal Officiel de la République (JORG), the Officiall Gazette of March 20, 2007:
The Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning's mission is the conception, implementation and monitoring of government policy in the economic, financial and budgetary matters as well as programs of economic and social development. As such, it is particularly in charge of conceiving, planning and monitoring the policies and programs of economic, social and cultural development of local government - scheduling public investment - ensuring the collection, centralization and dissemination of statistical and economic information - to organize national censuses; - participating in the organization of joint commissions - organizing and supervising Public Accounts and the Treasury - negotiating and signing all funding received by the State and Local Government;- ensuring management of aid and other funding from international agencies - managing internal and external debt - ensuring the development, implementation, monitoring and administrative control of the annual budget of the Government - to develop and implement the Government's policy of Tax and Customs -developing and monitoring the implementation of the technical and financial budget for investment and operation - regulating and approving public procurement; - ensuring financial management of the portfolio and Heritage of the State; - organizing and controlling gambling - coordinating joint commissions to monitor the management of public buildings- participating, in collaborating with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, the land conservation, land registry and management of public property - conceiving and implementing Government's policy of participation, restructuring and disengagement in semi-public sector.
The Ministry of Public Health's mission is: the conception, development and implementation of government policy in the field of Public Health. As such, it is particularly in charge of - conceiving the rules on medical and health matters - conceiving strategies of intervention in national health – ensuring the coordination and technical control of primary health care, traditional medicine and hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies and food centers - proceeding with the planning and programming of public programs and development projects in the short, medium and long term of the Ministry - Ensuring the supply of Health Services of drugs and specialized equipment - identifying needs and participating in the training of health care workers - providing the local authorities with all the assistance necessary to the establishment and equipping of health facilities - promoting operational research to solve health problems.
The
Ministry of the Interior and Security's missions are as follows: the
development, implementation and monitoring of government policy in the areas of
the Territorial Administration, Decentralization, Public Freedoms, Humanitarian
Assistance and Security.
As such, it is particularly in charge of: organizing, promoting and
coordinating the services of the Territorial government - guaranteeing civil
liberties determined by the Fundamental Law and general regulations -
conceiving and implementing decentralization, reform on Local Administration,
the exercise of guardianship of the state on local communities and promote
development at the grassroots - organizing elections - coordinating and
implementing humanitarian affairs; - maintaining order, the security of persons
and their property as well as internal and external security of the state
-implementing legislative and regulatory Acts relating to the safety of persons
and property and maintaining public order; - for the prevention and the fight
against organized crime, economic and financial crime as well as terrorism -
coordinating and strengthening the fight against urban and cross-border crime
and the fight against drugs and the proliferation of small arms and illicit
trafficking along the borders - implementing the laws and regulations in the
context of civil protection, environmental protection, prevention and relief in
the event of natural disasters in conjunction with the departments concerned -
coordinating all operations of intervention in the context of fire fighting,
accidents, disasters and catastrophes.
The
Ministry of Economic and Financial Control, of the Ethics and Transparency's
missions are: the conception, development and implementation of government
policy in the areas of Economic and Financial Control of promoting good governance
and combating corruption.
As such, it is particularly in charge of: Developing and implementing the
National Program for the Promotion of Good Governance (PNPBG) - developing and
overseeing the implementation of government policy in terms of control as
Institution Superior Control of the state - ensuring the implementation of
economic and financial policy established by the Government - ensuring
compliance with the laws, regulations and instructions governing the
administrative and financial functioning of the accounting of government
agencies and semi-public organization; - contributing to the betterment of the
mobilization and securing of resources on the one hand, and the rationalization
of public expenditures on the other - to identify and propose measures to
improve the efficiency and 'efficiency of the economic and financial management
of the state - giving its opinion on the content of agreements and other
obligations of the state in economic, financial and tax before their signatures
- ensuring the ongoing operations financial state, administrations and public
institutions, local authorities, other public bodies and, in general, all
entities that receive public assistance or loan, advance, Grant, Downstream,
guarantee or capital - participating in the development of economic, financial
regulation and accounting applicable to the State, public institutions, local
governments and other public agencies - evaluating the performance of systems
and supervisory bodies - evaluating the execution of financial transactions of
government and public institutions and, in general, all entities receiving
public funds – ensuring the compliance with the rules governing mechanisms of
economic and monetary policies, including the implementation of a restrictive
policy of credit - conducting an assessment of programs and investment projects
- ensuring the implementation of the policy of Audit and the Commissioner for
Accounts - promoting cooperative relations with other structures of
administrative, judicial and parliamentary control on the one hand,
associations or foreign institutions of control on the other - conceiving,
developing and implementing from the results of investigations, the strategy
and plan of action to combat corruption and assimilated practices - to
participate in the moralization of public life - carrying out any mission
assigned to it by the Government.
The area of jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic and Financial Control, of
the Ethics and Transparency covers all structures and public entities whatever
the method of management or geographical location, including offices and public
entities including the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea (BCRG), the
public and semi-public companies, programs and public projects, the Guinean
diplomatic missions, local, judicial and military administrations.
The Ministry of Economic and Financial Control, of the Ethics and Transparency
is receiving the reports of activities of government departments, the Audit and
reports of inspections, especially those of the General Inspectorate of Finance
and the reports of Audit of private firms and councils interesting government
and the public sector.
In the context of fulfilling its mission, the Ministry of Economic and
Financial Control, of the Ethics and Transparency receive copies of all
legislation and regulations relating to economic management, finance and
accounting, including agreements on the major contracts of the state. It is the
recipient of periodic financial statements of public institutions, companies
with state financial programs and public development projects.
The Ministry of Economic and Financial Control, of the Ethics and Transparency
corresponds directly, in all matters within its competence, with the heads or
representatives of public service, public entities of an administrative,
industrial and commercial or any other body in connection with its services,
and sends a copy of his correspondence to the Minister of guardianship.
No objection can be made to its requests for submission of information under
penalty of applying the provisions of the Act in this regard. Similarly, it
will take all measures in the event of a lapse in the management of the audited
agencies.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, Status of Women and Children's missions are as follows: to conceive, develop, coordinate, implement and monitor government policy in the fields of Social Affairs and the Status of Women and Children. As such, it is particularly in charge of: developing and monitoring the implementation of laws and regulations in its area of intervention; - conceiving and implementing policies for the promotion and expanded social protection - providing assistance to disadvantaged and / or other victims of a social nature - organizing and protecting for vulnerable groups including women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities by promoting structures for 'appropriate supervision - providing research and resource mobilization material, technical and financial resources for the implementation of programs and projects set up by associations and groups of different departmental targets.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration and of
Guineans abroad has the following missions: to conceive, develop, implement and
monitor the foreign policy of the Government in terms of diplomacy, consular
relations, International Cooperation, Integration and management of Guineans
abroad.
As such, it is particularly responsible of:
- guiding, promoting and coordinating political relations and economic
cooperation, social, cultural, technical and scientific cooperation between the
Republic of Guinea and all partners in progress - organizing and managing the
diplomatic and Consular representations and of the Guineans abroad – managing
the relations with the Diplomatic and Consular Missions and International
Institutions Accredited in Guinea - developing and monitoring relations of
cooperation between the Republic of Guinea and African Organizations, regional
and sub-regional integration - seeking and mobilizing external aid and
technical assistance to the Republic of Guinea and ensuring coordination -
promoting, within the framework of the Decentralized Cooperation and
micro-finance, partnership and consistency in the mobilization of aid to
development between Guinean public, private sectors and foreign partners -
developing and promoting policies and strategies for the involvement and the
effective participation of Guinean nationals abroad to the national development
effort - fostering the mobilization and the repatriation of savings of Guinean
from abroad and facilitate their return and reintegration - ensuring the
mobilization and monitoring of the management of donations in the context of
international cooperation programs in connection with the Ministry of Economy,
Finance and Planning - participating, in conjunction with other ministries, in
the negotiation and the conclusion of agreements and financing agreements, and
following up on economic reforms with the international financial institutions
- promoting the integration of Guinean managers within organizations and international
institutions - developing and popularizing the implementation of treaties,
agreements, conventions, protocols and decisions in the field of diplomacy,
cooperation, integration and migration; - dealing with international law
including international humanitarian law - following ratification of the
conventions, agreements and international treaties and guards custodian -
defending the interests of the state and its Guinean nationals abroad.
The missions of this Ministry are as follows: to conceive, develop and
implement government policy in the fields of land, air, sea, river and the
meteorology. In this capacity, it is particularly in charge of - conceiving,
developing and implementing the laws and regulations concerning transport and
meteorology and ensuring the monitoring and control - conceiving and
implementing strategies and plans for the development of transport and
meteorology; - ensuring the planning and programming of investments in the
fields of transport and meteorology in connection with the departments involved
- contributing to the promotion and development of businesses and
socio-professional associations operating in the transport sector - ensuring
the technical inspection of road vehicles, aircraft and sea vessels and
ensuring the issuance of the permits required - promoting relations of
bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fields transport and meteorology.
This
Ministry has the following missions: the conception, development,
implementation, monitoring and control of government policy in the areas of
Mines, Geology and Hydrocarbons.
As such, it is particularly in charge of:
- defining the national policy on development of mineral resources - developing
legislation and regulations on mining to be monitored throughout the national
territory - establishing geological, hydro-geological and geotechnical
infrastructures of the country at different levels – inventorying and
evaluating mineral resources, groundwater and the hydrocarbon potential of the
country - carrying out geological, hydro-geological, geophysical, geotechnical
and hydrocarbons work, and ensuring the processing and interpretation of the
resulting data – carrying out work in remote and ensuring the processing and
interpretation of the resulting data - monitoring and controlling the
implementation of plans of action proposed by the companies and mining projects
- ensuring the implementation of legislation and regulatory environment in the
mining sector on the whole national territory - ensuring, technical, monitoring
and control of the entire research program and / or exploration initiated by
the state or private investors in the mining sector, hydrogeology, geotechnical
and hydrocarbons - initiating and conducting in connection with partners any
program of basic research in the field of earth sciences - ensuring the
country's earthquake monitoring - running for the third of the work in the
field of geological and mining research - negotiating and concluding all the
agreements and conventions under the management of mining heritage -monitoring
the management of the state shares in the mining companies in relation to the
relevant departments - representing the Republic of Guinea in international
organizations and forums in Mines and geology sector - monitoring the markets
for raw materials and to conducting
This
Ministry has the following missions: to conceive, develop and implement
government policy in the areas of Elementary, General Secondary, Technical,
Professional and Superior Education, Scientific Research, Documentation, Civic
Education and Non-Formal Education.
As such, it is particularly in charge of:
- providing and coordinating education and training of young people at all
levels and stages of education under its jurisdiction in order to make people
capable of participating in the socio-economic and cultural development; -
setting objectives for the development of education in the short, medium and
long terms -promoting the training of highly qualified professionals that can
contribute to raising the standard of science and technology of the Nation of
Guinea - improving and Regularizing consistency and efficiency of the
educational system through greater adaptation to changes in the world, the
constraints and economic and cultural needs of the country - working towards
the use of new information in technologies and communication (NTIC) in the
fields of education, training, information, documentation and scientific
research - setting educational goals and achieving development programs of
Elementary, Secondary , Engineering, Higher and Professional Education,
Scientific Research, Documentation, Literacy and Civic Education - developing
and putting in place operational and efficient systems of management of
learning and educational and vocational guidance in educational institutions -
defining the criteria and standards for the creation and opening of private
institutions of education and training and ensuring their implementation; -
organizing, monitoring and controlling and promoting private education, -
proposing to the Government the allocation of resources needed to achieve the
educational goals in short, medium and long terms - coordinating the
organization of examinations and competitions for Educational Institutions
within its purview - monitoring assessment, renovation and accreditation of
educational training and research programs - monitoring and evaluating the
implementation of curricula of general education, technical and vocational
training, scientific and technological research, non-formal education, literacy
and civic education - promoting and providing effective physical sporting and
cultural education and coordinating the activities of sports and culture and
training in schools and universities - organizing and invigorating school
libraries and documentation centers, and scientific and technical information;
- establishing a system of information and communication mechanisms and internal
and External monitoring of programs and projects for the development of
education - conceiving and monitoring the implementation of non-formal
education programs; - conceiving, developing and ensuring the implementation of
the schools and universities ID Cards and ensuring that they are correctly and
regularly updated - promoting, coordinating scientific research, supporting and
encouraging exchanges in the scientific, technical and technological at the
national, African and international levels - conceiving, implementing,
monitoring and evaluating programs for research and the fight against HIV /
AIDS in the education and research sector - encouraging and strengthening
Programs of Gender Fairness at all levels of education, research and training -
developing, upgrading and maintaining infrastructure and school, academic and
research facilities, - promoting and setting up a system of information and
scientific documentation and mechanisms for internal and external communication
with all actors and stakeholders in education - promoting, stimulating and
coordinating scientific cooperation in technical and vocational education in
matters of Education, Training and Scientific and Technological Research.
This
Ministry has the following missions: the conception, development, coordination
and implementation of government policy in terms of rural development,
safeguarding the environment, the rational management of natural resources and
improving the quality of life in a perspective of sustainable development.
As such, it has particularly:
- To conceive and define the areas of applied research to be implemented -to
sustain and accelerate the achievement of rural development - to conceive, develop
and implement legislation and regulations relating to 'environment and to
ensure the monitoring and control - to formulate and implement laws and
regulations applicable to agricultural, veterinarians, forestry and hunting
inputs and to monitor and control - to formulate, implement and monitor
programs including Agricultural Engineering, in the field of
hydro-agricultural, construction of rural roads and rural buildings - to
conduct strategic studies and prospective studies in which the prevention and reduction
of environmental hazards in terms of urbanization, supplies, transport, major
infrastructures, rational use of energy resources and development of renewable
energy - to conduct studies of fitness of National policy in terms of
urbanization, equipment, transportation and major infrastructure with the
environmental policy of the Government - to promote the emergence of groups of
producers capable of taking care of the economic functions related to rural
development – to ensure food security through the development of food crops and
give new impetus to export crops and agro industry - to monitor the technical
side, the operation of all central departments, agencies and devolved within
the department or under his tutelage in order to improve their technical
performance and management - to promote livestock production and integration of
animal husbandry in agricultural development policy - to maintain and improve
animal health throughout national territory - to ensure the protection,
development and reconstruction of forests; - to ensure the protection and
rational exploitation of wildlife - to ensure the preservation, processing,
marketing and use of wood and derivatives - to promote the creation of
structures of credit and savings available to producers and operators of the
rural areas - to ensure the integration of environmental concerns into the
plans, programs and projects of socio-economic development in the country - to
set up and manage mechanisms for monitoring and tracking trends of change in the
condition of natural and human environment; - to provide information, awareness
and educating citizens in the protection and management of the environment; -
to ensure the correct application of international conventions, treaties
regional and international environment which Guinea has endorsed - to promote
and develop international cooperation in the field of environment - to observe,
collect, process and disseminate weather data for user national and
international needs - to participate and organize conferences and seminars on
sector of the rural areas - to ensure compliance with the conventions and
agreements relating to public programs and projects under development.
This
Ministry has the following missions: the conception, development, testing and
implementation of government policy in the areas of 'Employment, Civil Service
and the Administrative Reform.
As such, it has particularly:
- To conceive, develop and implement laws and regulations in terms of
employment, work, social protection, vocational training and development - to
identify and monitor the implementation of the plan of Action for the promotion
of employment - to monitor and control the implementation of laws and
regulations on labour, social welfare and vocational training - to promote
social dialogue and tripartite cooperation in the world of work - to conceive,
develop and implement laws and regulations concerning the management of
civilian personnel of the State and structures of Public Administration - to
conceive and implement a system of monitoring and evaluation of personnel,
structures and activities of public services - to conceive, develop and
implement the national policy of improvement of skill of in-service civilians
personnel of the state - to oversee the drafting of organic frameworks and
utilities for the management of civil servants and contract staff of the state
- to participate in the preparation of preliminary draft budgets in terms of
annual expenditures of civilian personnel of the State in connection with the
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning - to ensure the training and
retraining of civilian personnel of the State in Administrative Sciences; - to
promote applied research in Public Administration.
Its missions are as follows: the Conception, development, implementation and monitoring of government policy in the areas of information, film, photography, video, advertising, postal, telecommunications and new technologies of information.
As such, it has:
-
to develop and monitor the implementation of legislation and regulation in the
field of information, film, video, photography, sound recording, advertising,
postal and telecommunications - to promote and develop new technologies of
information and of the communication - to plan, promote, coordinate and monitor
the activities of public service media - to produce and broadcast programmes of
information, education and entertainment for the public - to conceive and
develop programs for training and development of personnel of public and
private services in the field of communication and new technologies of
information - to ensure the implementation of the general policy development of
the public press and publishing, postal, telecommunications and new information
technology - to develop and monitor the implementation of development programs
and projects in the sectors of Information, Posts, telecommunications and new
technologies; - permit the stationing of the broadcasting, television,
Internet, coastal stations and network official - to develop the principles of
management of the frequency spectrum on all the territory of the country - to
plan, monitor and evaluate development programs and projects in the field of
communication and new technologies of information - to ensure the
implementation of agreements on bilateral and multilateral cooperation; - to
approve and enforce tariff rules in the field of communication - to develop
rules for managing national numbering plan - to grant concessions on a proposal
from the Agency for Telecommunications and Post Regulatory ( ARPT) - to oversee
the representation of the State in the operation of public networks of posts, telecommunications
and new technologies of information - to ensure the technology watch - to
organize and participate in all national, regional and international encounters
dealing with issues of communication and new technologies of information - to
promote the mobilization of the universal service fund and the digital
solidarity fund.
Its
missions are the following: the conception, development, implementation and
monitoring of government policy in the fields of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
As such, it has particularly:
- To conceive, develop and implement the elements of the Government's policy in
the fields of fisheries and aquaculture and ensure the monitoring and control -
to conceive legislations and regulations regarding fisheries and aquaculture -
to conduct research to assess fishery resources to ensure the sustainability of
their operations - to ensure exploitation and sustainable management of
fisheries resources, the protection and preservation of biological diversity of
habitats and ecosystems - to conceive coordination and implementation of
development strategies for Fisheries and Aquaculture; - to develop and
implement, in conjunction with the agencies concerned, the policy of
monitoring, control and enforcement of fisheries - to adopt appropriate
measures consistent with international standards, to uphold the right of
consumers to fish with no risk - to guide and lead in collaboration with the
authorities concerned, the training and development of human resources - to
promote the private sector - to ensure, with the administrations concerned, the
negotiation of agreements and conventions relating to fisheries and the
aquaculture.
It has the following tasks: the conception, development and implementation of
government policy in terms of organization and functioning of Judicial
Institutions.
As such, it has particularly:
- To define the broad outlines of government policy in the field of justice and
coherent training of Guinean legal system - to conceive, develop and implement
laws and regulations in civil, commercial, administrative, Criminal, and the
relevant procedures and to monitor and control - to draw up rules for the
organization, operation and jurisdiction of courts and correctional services -
to arrange the conditions for equal access to justice and to ensure the rule of
law - to make effective legal assistance - to ensure the promotion and
protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the assumption of the
prison population - to participate in the creation of conditions guaranteeing
the exercise of public and individual freedoms, as well as preventing their
violation - to ensure the training and development of human resources of the
Department of Justice, - to establish, implement the provision of international
assistance in the field of justice - to contribute to the development of
international law and to ensure its integration into the Internal Law - to
ensure the implementation of International Conventions and the settlement of
international disputes; - to organize and manage matters relating to the arms
of the Republic and the Seal of the State - to contribute to the
consolidation of the rule of law.
It
has the following tasks: to conceive, develop, implement and monitor government
policy in the fields of Industry, Commerce, Tourism and Handicrafts.
As such, it has particularly:
-
To conceive, develop and implement laws and regulations in respect of Industry,
Trade, Tourism and Handicrafts and ensure their implementation; - to define the
objectives to be achieved within the framework of the development program of
Economic and Social Council – to define, in collaboration with stakeholders
programs and projects to be implemented and the appropriate accompanying
measures - to promote investments in the areas of trade, industry, small and
medium enterprises , tourism and handicrafts; - to promote the export of
products from Guinea and to ensure the supply of the domestic market with
essential goods and strategic products by taking appropriate action - to
develop and implement the Government's policy of standardization and quality of
goods and services, industrial property, competition, pricing, weights and
measures - to participate in the formulation and implementation of the Accords
and bilateral and multilateral agreements in the fields of its competence.
It has the following tasks: the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of government policy in terms of Hydraulics and Energy.
As such, it has particularly:
- To conceive, develop legislation and regulations in the areas of Water and Energy and monitoring and control – to make an inventory and evaluate Water resources and Energy, including hydrocarbons - to develop and implement the strategy for the development of water and energy resources and national monitoring and control - to promote research and the use of new technologies in the field of renewable energies - to promote oil - to conceive, evaluate and monitor the implementation of safety rules, standards of construction, transportation and distribution of hydrocarbons - to run research programs in the areas within its competence.
The missions of this Ministry are: the conception, development and
implementation of government policy in terms of Youth, Culture and Sports and
to ensure monitoring and control.
As such, it has particularly:
-
To establish an institutional and regulatory framework that promotes the
development of youth, culture and sports, including the integration of young
people, the promotion of youth employment and support to community life - to
set up funds to support the promotion of youth employment, self-promotion and
support for cultural and sports activities - to encourage the creation and
promotion of associations, groups and cooperatives of youth, sports and culture
- to ensure the training and development of staff, intervention and leadership
in the areas of youth, culture and sports; - to expand and upgrade the
cultural, sports and socio-educational infrastructure - to renovate and make it
functional, former homes of the people, ex-dancing bars (seat of national
orchestras), sports fields and other areas allocated to the Department in
accordance with the recommendations of the national conference of Youth and
Sports in 1990 - to ensure proper management of infrastructure, equipment and
maintenance - to encourage the participation of cultural associations and
organizations, sports and socio-educational meetings of Guinean national,
Africans and internationals - to ensure the quality representation of cultural
associations and organizations, socio-educational and sports of Guinea in the
African and international meetings - to promote and develop cooperation of
bilateral and multilateral partnership - to ensure promotion of Gender equity
in youth, culture and sport activities.
The Ministry's mission is the development and implementation of government
policy in the field of public works, urban planning and housing.
In this connection it has:
In the field of public works:
- To conceive and implement strategies and plans for the development in road
sector -to conceive, develop and implement and monitor programs for the
construction, rehabilitation, maintenance and management of national highways
and those of prefectures, city primary roads works and bridges- to organize and
promote the participation of community and local associations to the
construction and construction works, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road
network throughout the national territory- to contribute to the promotion and
development of enterprises and firms of research operating in the road sector -
to promote the use of local materials and techniques adapted to local
conditions in the construction and maintenance of roads.
In the field of spatial planning
- To determine, at the national level, in collaboration with the
departments and agencies concerned, the basic directions of the state with
regard to the management and balance between the prospects for development,
protection and enhancement of the territory - determine at the regional level
in cooperation with relevant departments and organizations concerned, the basic
orientation of the state's environmental and sustainable development of major
infrastructures of transport, major equipment and services to regional
interests- set at the communal level, in cooperation with relevant departments
and organizations concerned, the general environment of spatial development as
well as mapping developments with printing in a precise and imperative manner
on the ground.
In the field of housing and urban development
- To develop and implement laws and regulations on urban planning, architecture and construction management of urban space and movable and Real estate on the national territory and ensure the monitoring and control- to develop and implement policies, strategies and development plans of urban, architecture and construction planning in order to develop urban and rural spaces.- ensure the delegated contractor and contracting authorities of construction operations, renovation and rehabilitation of public buildings- to build and oversee the study, work and monitoring of programs and projects of urban secondary and tertiary roads and sanitation- to develop and implement programs and projects for more liveability of urban land, the land trust and ensure the security of land occupant - to develop and put policies in housing and real estate development to promote access to sanitation for all socio-economic categories- to conceive and promote mechanisms of housing, especially for the poorest people- to foster the emergence and promotion of private initiatives in the area of benefits, studies and monitoring, land management and property development- promoting the use of local materials and the use of construction techniques adapted to the socio-economic contexts in harmony with the environment- to assist local governments in preparing their tools for urban planning of building plots management and building permits on ensuring the implementation of the regulation of housing and urban development.
Under
the authority of the President of the Republic, the General Secretariat of the
Presidency of the Republic's missions are: the implementation of government
policy in the areas of operation and coordination of activities of the
Presidency of the Republic. It supports the Head of State in his mission of
conception and orientation of the general policy of the nation, control
government action and ensures the proper functioning of public authorities and
the continuity of the State.
Under the authority of the President of the Republic, the General Secretariat of the Government's mission is to support the Prime Minister and Head of Government in the coordination of government action.
As
such, it has particularly:
- To organize, manage and monitor the governmental work and procedural laws and
regulations - to control the legal form of draft laws and regulations - to
ensure the physical formality of enactment and publishing legislative and
regulatory texts - to ensure in his fields of competence, liaisons with the
Ministerial Departments, the National Assembly, the Supreme Court and the
Advisory Bodies - to centralize all acts of the Government and ensure their
publication in the Official Gazette and / or report - to establish schedules
for mission abroad for members of the Government and the State agents.
The Secretary General of the Government, appointed by Decree of the President
of the Republic, provides leadership, coordination and monitoring of services;
The Secretary General of the Government attends the Cabinet meetings in an
advisory capacity, draw up minutes and, issues an extract to Members of the
Government. In conjunction with the Department of Communications, the Secretary
General of the Government prepares press releases at the conclusion of Cabinet
meetings.
The
Secretary General of the Government is assisted by a Deputy Secretary General
who acts as a replacement or substitute in the event of the absence or
incapacity. The Deputy Secretary General of the Government who is appointed by
Decree of the President of the Republic.
The
Secretariat General of Religious Affairs has the following missions: the
conception, development and implementation of government policy with regard to
religious activities.
As such, it has particularly:
- To promote religious culture - to promote the development of religious infrastructure - to invite the faithful believers to meet their obligations - to organize pilgrimages - hold festivals and religious ceremonies - to oversee the implementation of religious rules and prevent all doctrines and religious practices with deviationist characteristics - to ensure the preservation of the purity of faith, peace and social tranquillity; - to participate in the fight against social plague and encourage the development of religious virtues - to participate in the strengthening of the moral and civic education of citizens - to organize and participate in religious meetings - to prevent and manage conflicts of a religious - to promote and streamline the activities of NGOs and religious associations.
As main reason of separation powers the Executive powers cannot make the law it applies. That could lead to dictatorship. Laws they deemed to apply are made by another institution. It will be the subject of the next discussion
The legislative power is exercised in Guinea by the National Assembly, whose members are called ‘Députés.’ There are 114 members of the National Assembly of whom 76 are elected through proportional poll from parties national list. 38 are elected on majority poll system with single round in 33 Prefectures and five Communes of Conakry.
To be elected member of the National Assembly the Organic Law n#91/12/CTRN of December 23, 1991 relative to the Electoral Code set the following conditions: one has to be over 25 years of age, be a Guinean by birth or by naturalization for ten years and having resided in Guinea since the date of naturalization, and be presented by a regularly constituted political party.[3]
Are absolutely ineligible, the insane and State assisted persons. Are relatively ineligible, the Prefects, sub-prefects and their deputies, General Secretaries of Prefectures, treasurers, judges exercising in the constituency where they are in function for at least one year. The incompatibility concerns also members of the Economic and Social Councils and State functionaries while exercising their functions.
This institution has its own organization by which it functions.
The internal structuring of the National Assembly is provided by its Internal Regulation Act. It determines the structure of that Institution as follows:
1 Bureau of the National Assembly
This organ is composed of eleven members: the President of the Assembly (Speaker of the Assembly); four Vice-Presidents; four Secretaries and two Quaestors.
The President is elected for the tenure of the legislature through a uninominal poll. The other members are elected for one year through the list poll for every function. They can be re-elected. Among the prominent functions of the President of the Assembly are:
i He leads the parliamentary debates;
ii He is consulted by the President of the Republic before dissolving the National Assembly[4];
iii He is consulted by the President of the Republic before submitting any bill to people for referendum[5];
iv He replaces the President of the Republic in case of absence.[6]
President of the National is substituted by one of the Vice-Presidents through the same procedure and with the same capacity in case of absence.
The Secretaries supervise the establishment of the Minutes
The Quaestors are in charge of the internal administration of the National Assembly, they exercise financial functions.
2 The conference of the Presidents
According to article 58 of the internal Regulation Act the conference of the Presidents is composed of the President and the Vice-Presidents of the National Assembly, the presidents of parliamentary groups, the Presidents of parliamentary commissions and the General Rapporteur of the Commission of Financial and Economic Affairs.[7]
The Conference of the presidents makes the agendas for the sessions, which is submitted to the approval of the Bureau of the National Assembly that can amend it if necessary.
The National Assembly is also composed of different commissions in charge of analyzing the bills according to their specialties before submitting them for plenary discussions.
3 Parliamentary Commissions
Article 4 of Fundamental Law provides for the creation of permanent parliamentary commission and special provisional commissions.
i Permanent Commissions
Before every session (legislative or budgetary session) the National Assembly put in place general commissions to analyze matters submitted to it. They are permanent commission. They are 12 in number:
- Commission of economical and financial affairs;
- Commission of Foreign affairs, planning and cooperation;
- Commission of laws, internal regulations, general administration and justice;
- Commission of defence and security;
- Commission of industry and commerce;
- Commission of mines, handcraft and tourism;
- Commission of local administration and transports;
- Commission of civil service and employment;
- Commission of education, health and social affairs;
- Commission of information and communication;
- Commission of accountability and control; and
- Commission of delegation.
Other commissions are created to examine a particular bill.[8]
ii Special Commissions
These commissions are temporally competent up to the final decision related to the subject. The resolution creating special commission also determines the methods of selecting its members. An example of special commission is the commission of enquiry.
The last organ of the National Assembly is the Parliamentary Groups as discussed below.
4 Parliamentary Groups
There are conditions for the creation of a parliamentary group:
- the group must provide a plan of action serving as program as well as indicating its name and composition;
- the parliamentary group cannot defend particular interests and one person cannot belong to more than one group.
The presidents of parliamentary groups are, by rights, members of the Conference of presidents and can be replaced by other members in case of absence.
The respect of this organization of National Assembly as discussed above gives ways for its proper functioning.
The question relating to the mechanism of electing Members of Parliaments has been answered by the Fundamental Law through both article 2 paragraph 2 and 47 paragraph 1 and article 1 of the Electoral Code. These provisions state that the suffrage is universal, secret and direct. Every citizen responding to the criteria set by the Electoral Code is an elector.[9]
As mentioned above one third of the MPs are elected through uninominal (single-seat) of single round polling system, the two third are elected on the party national list (proportional polling).[10]
1 Uninominal with single round poll
Here, electors vote for only one candidate of their choice because a ballot cannot carry more than one name. The candidate winning the majority (be it simple majority or absolute majority) of voters is elected.
2 Proportional representation of national list poll
The 2/3 (78) of MPs are elected through this mechanism. Every political party presents a list of candidates equalling the number of the seats to be filled. The voters vote for the list of their political parties. The parties will be represented according to the percentage of votes they won during the election.
To determine the number of MPs won by party, they calculate the electoral quotient, which is equal to the number of votes expressed, divided by the number of seats provided. If after the operation there are remainder of votes non-ascribed, there are two methods of allocating that rest to parties: the method of the ‘largest remainder and the method of ‘largest average.’ Guinea, considering the second method more complicated, opted for the first one, the method of the ‘largest remainder.’ Here, after the operation of division, the party, which obtained ‘the remainder’ closer to the electoral quotient (the number of vote equivalent to a seat), will receive the seat.
The present proportion of Members of Parliament by political parties is exposed in the table below:
|
Parties |
Number |
of |
seats |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
Uninominal |
Proportional. |
Total |
Uninominal |
Proportional |
Total |
|
PUP RPG UNR PRP UPG PDG/RDA PDG/DST DJAMA UNP |
30 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 |
41 15 7 7 2 1 1 1 1 |
71 19 9 9 2 1 1 1 1 |
78.94 10.52 5.26 5.26 0 0 0 0 0 |
53.94 19.73 9.21 9.21 1.31 1.31 1.31 1.31 1.31 |
62.28 16.66 7.89 7.89 1.75 0.87 0.87 0.87 0.87 |
Members of the National Assembly are protected by two sorts of immunity: while exercising their duties, they are protected by the immunity known as the parliamentary irresponsibility; and when they are exercising their functions, they are protected by the parliamentary inviolability. However, this immunity can be lifted by the National Assembly when necessary, after respecting certain conditions.[11]
Like the Executive power, the Legislative power has its attributions.
The National Assembly passes ordinary laws as well as the annual budget of the government. It controls the Executive power in its management of public funds and other State affairs; 1/10 of its Members have the rights to refer to the Supreme Court for the control of constitutionality of government actions. It passes regulations, notably its internal rules such as the Internal Regulations Act n# C/91/15/CTRN of December 23, 1996 and the Organic Laws.
The missions of the National Assembly are fulfilled due to its organization and functioning that will be the subject of the next discussion.
For an in-depth analysis of this aspect, it is necessary to discuss successively the agenda of the session, the debates and the system of voting.
1 Agenda of session
The National Assembly establishes its own agenda as such it has authority over it barring the fact that the President of the Republic has the right to be heeded to whenever he requests for it.[12] Article 58 of the Internal Regulation Act stipulates that no amendment of the agenda can be made except by the National Assembly itself.
According to paragraph 2 of the article 71 of the Fundamental Law, the President of the Republic can request, by right, to list a bill or a declaration as priority at the beginning of the session. When he, thus, requests to list a bill as priority on the agenda, the government plays the leading role in the procedure of discussion of the said bill.
Even during the session, an urgent discussion on a matter can be requested either by a number of Members of Parliament equal at least to 1/10 of the members or by the President of the Republic.
2 Debates
For article 59 of Internal Regulation Act, the methods of general discussion of bills submitted to the National Assembly can be proposed by the Conference of the Presidents. The sessions are generally open even though the National Assembly can decide to hold sessions behind closed door.[13]It is the President of the Assembly that presides the debates. Cabinet Ministers sometimes assisted by members of the cabinet of their choice can take part in the debate.[14]
All these procedures are known as the legislative procedures that will be discussed below.
There are two types of legislative procedures: ordinary procedure and special procedure.
a Ordinary legislative procedure
This procedure concerns the elaboration of laws the domain of which is determined by article 59 of the Fundamental Law. It is composed of steps:
1 Initiative of law
The initiative of law belongs concurrently to the President of the Republic and the MPs. When an initiative is taken by the President of the Republic, it is referred to as ‘project of law’ (projet de loi); and when it is initiated by the MPs, it is referred to as ‘proposal of law’ (proposition de loi). Be it project or proposal of law, the bill is submitted to the National Assembly for discussion and eventual adoption through the methods discussed (see 3 below).
2 Amendment of law
According to article 69 of the Fundamental Law, it is possible for either the President of the Republic and MPs to solicited an amendment to a law in discussion. The amendment or the counter bill can be brought in before the National Assembly either:
- Before the discussion, in this case it is submitted to the relevant Commission for scrutiny, or
- During the plenary session. In this case it is deposited on the desk of the President of the Assembly who communicates to the other MPs. The Assembly may decide whether to pass immediately to the discussion of the text or refer it to the relevant Commissions.
After settling all the preliminary issues, Members of the Assembly pass to the discussion of the bill, article by article for voting.
3 Voting methods
The Internal Ruling Act provides for four voting modalities, which are as follows:
i Showing hands: it is the simplest and the most used form of voting.
ii Voting by sitting and standing: it is the technique used after the results of showing hands were declared doubtful.
iii The public poll: when the doubt persists on the outcome of the previous methods, the Members of Parliament use ballot box. Three normative ballot papers of different colors (green, yellow and red) are given to each of them. They put the ballot paper of their choice bearing their names in the box brought to them: Green for ‘Yes’; Red for ‘No’ and Yellow for ‘abstention’.
iv Secret poll: this time the ballot papers do not carry the name of the MPs.
4 Promulgation of law
When the bill is passed by the National Assembly, is transmitted without delay to the President of the Republic for promulgation. The promulgation is the assertion by the Executive that it recognizes the said law and can consequently apply it, for it enters into force.
The President of the Republic has ten days to do that. The deadline starts running from the eighth day after the transmission of the law. If he does not, subject to article 63 and 64 of the Fundamental Law, the new law enters into force.
To this ordinary procedure can be added a special procedure as discussed below.
b Special procedure
It mainly concerns constitutional laws and organic laws.
1 Constitutional laws
Referred to as constitutional laws those laws that amend, abrogate or complete the provision of the Constitution. According to article 91 of the Fundamental Law, the initiative of constitutional review can be taken concurrently by both the President of the Republic or the MPs.
The proposed review once adopted by the National Assembly cannot immediately enter into force unless approved by the people of Guinea through referendum. However, the proposed review initiated by the President of the Republic may not be submitted for referendum if the President of the Republic so requests and approved by 2/3 of the MPs. It is the same for the proposed review initiated by the MPs and that has acquired the approval of the President of the Republic.
There can be no procedure of review when the country is totally of partially under foreign occupation, during state of emergency or state of siege. Moreover, the secular nature, the republican form of the State as well as the separation of powers cannot be subject to any constitutional review.
Falling under the same category of procedure are the organic laws.
2 Organic Law
The organic laws are provided for by the Fundamental Law for special matters. According to its article 67, organic laws cannot be amended but by the 2/3 majority of the MPs present. They can neither be promulgated before the Supreme Court to which they are necessarily submitted, has declared them to be conform to the Fundamental Law.
There is a third and last special procedure; it concerns the National Budget.
3 National Budget Act
The law allowing the realization of the National Budget is voted by the National Assembly. The conditions concerning the national budget are provided by the article 61 of the organic law of the Internal Regulation Act, article 68 of the Fundamental Law for the initiative of the budget and article 69 for its amendment.
However, the government has several means at its disposal to withstand the amendment of its proposed budget. For instance article 69 of the Fundamental Law declares non-receivable any proposition of amendment that reduces public revenue or worsens public expenditure.
Article 65 of the Internal Regulation Act allows the government to set aside any untimely parliamentary initiative of amendment of the proposed budget. Which means that the government can oppose to any discussion of parliamentary amendment and initiative that was not submitted to the relevant Commission prior to the plenary discussion.
Every aspect of the elaboration of the Budget is performed within a time limit
.
i Deadline
The discussion of the bill obeys strictly to determined timetable. In principle, the bill must be filed to the Bureau of the National Assembly and distributed to MPs on the day of the first Tuesday of October of the year that precedes the year of the realization of the budget. Those documents are in the blue color.[15] The National Assembly must vote the budget within sixty days after the reception of the bill.
The bill is first discussed in specialized commissions, as mentioned before, established at the beginning of the session. The Commission of Finance, which takes part in every meeting with Ministers, examines aspect related to expenditure and then the one related to resources before submitting it to the plenary session for voting.
If after sixty days the budget is not voted, it enters into force by Presidential decree taking into account the amendment suggested by the National Assembly and accepted by the President of the Republic.[16]
ii Voting the Budget
There are certain weaknesses in the law governing the procedure of voting the Budget: nothing indicates which part of the Budget should be discussed in the first place (resources or expenditure?); there is no possibility for the President of the Republic to order the National Assembly to vote the entire Budget at once (in bloc.)
The ceremony of voting starts by an introductive speech of the President of Commission of Finance immediately followed by the general report. The following authorities are required to be present through out the session: the Minister of Economy and Finance, the President of the Commission of Finance, ad hoc General Rapporteur. The other Ministers are not obliged to be president everyday, but they must be present whenever their particular departments are concerned.
The Debate starts by the general discussion about the exposé of the general report. Every speaker expresses his observation and critics. After the discussion the National Assembly passes to vote. Here, the modality of voting varies according as they are about the resource or the expenditure.
For the resource, the voting is by Chapter for the General Budget; by Annex Budget for Annex Budgets and by categories of special account of treasure for special accounts of treasure. For the expenditure the voting is a unique vote for voted expenditure of the previous year (Services votés), and by Chapter for the new authorization (new expenditure) likewise for the Annexes and special accounts of treasure.
c Legislation voted by the Guinean National Assembly
-Legislations voted or amended by the Guinean lawmakers are numerous. The most prominent are the following:
-Loi L 95/023/CTRN du 12 janvier 1995, Code de la Marine Marchande de Guinee (Law L 95/CTRN of January 12, 1995, creating the Merchant Marin Code of Guinea ) published in the Official Gazette of June 25 1995;
-Loi 98/034/CTRN du 31 Decembre 1998 portant Code Civil de Guinee (Law 98/034/CTRN of December 31 1998 creating the Civil Code of Guinea) published in the Official Gazette of January 10,1999
-Loi 98/035/CTRN du 31 Décembre 1998 portant Code de Procédure Civile de Guinee (Law 98/035/CTRN creating the Code of Civil Procedings of Guinea) published in the Official Gazette of January 10,1999
-Loi 98/036/CTRN du 31 Decembre 1998 portant Code Penal de Guinee (Law 98/036/CTRN of December 31, 1998 establishing the Penal Code of Guinea) published in the Official Gazette of January 10,1999;
-Loi 98/037/CTRN du 31 Decembre 1998 portant Code de Procedure Penale de Guinee (Law 98/037/CTRN creating the Code of Penal Proceedings of Guinea published in the Official Gazette of January 10, 1999)
-Ordonnance 003/PRG/SGG/88 du 28 janvier 1998 portant sur le Code de Travail (Ordinance 003/PRG/SGG/88 of January 28, 1998 creating the Code of Labor) published in the Official Gazette of February 10, 1988.
To control the correctness of application made by the Executive Power of laws passed by the Legislative Power , another is institution is created by the people of Guinea at the image of other nations where rule of law is the principle.
According to article 80 of the Fundamental Law, the Judicial Power is exclusively exercised by the courts. Because of their differences, they will be discussed separately.
The Supreme Court is placed at the top of the hierarchy of the Guinean courts. It has been known by various names: Superior Tribunal of Cassation from 1959 to 1983, Supreme Court in 1984 and 85, National Chamber of Annulment in 1986 to 1990, and Supreme Court since then.
The role of the Supreme Court is to ensure the uniformity in the interpretation of Guinean legislations. It sits on the judgments pronounced by other courts. It is, therefore, not concerned with the acts that constitute the source of the dispute before it, but the issue of interpretation given to the law raised by the parties to the suit. Its mission is to ensure that the law is properly interpreted by the lower courts. It is not a third degree court. Its mission is to see whether the law was properly applied to the case or not.
The establishment, attributions, organization and functioning of the Supreme Court are provided by the Law n#008. It incarnates the third branch of Government, the judiciary in Guinea. All these can be illustrated through examining its organization and jurisdictions.
At the personnel level, the Supreme Court is composed of a First President appointed by the President of the Republic, after consultation with the President of the National Assembly; two Presidents of Chambers, at least two Councillors, one Solicitor General, the First Deputy Solicitor General and other Deputies, at least ten Auditors of Justice and Rreferendary Judges whose number is determined as per the prevailing circumstances.
Members of the Supreme Court are appointed by Presidential Decree. They retire after attaining 65 years. Like any other legal professional, members of the Supreme Court are not allowed to hold any other position which would be incompatible with his functions, such as being a member of the Executive, the National Assembly, be a Trial Lawyer or private professional.
Members of the Supreme Court enjoy the security of tenure in office meaning that they cannot be removed at will. They can only be prosecuted before the civil, criminal and commercial Chambers of the same court following an authorization and upon the instructions of the General Assembly.
At the structural level, the Supreme Court is composed of three Chambers, namely:
1 Constitutional and Administrative Chamber
This Chamber is composed of one President who is in fact the First President of the Supreme Court, at least four Councillors, the Solicitor General and his Deputies. It gives rulings on, among others, the constitutionality of law and international accords, matters relating to Presidential and legislative elections including the question of their regularities, executive excesses, conflicts of jurisdiction between the Executive and the Legislative powers.
2 Civil, Penal, Commercial and Social Chamber
This Chamber is composed as the same manner as the Constitutional Chamber except that its President is not the First President of the Supreme Court. It gives rulings on appeals for annulment launched against the decisions of other courts pronounced in last resort in civil, penal, commercial and social matters, the transfers of matters from one court to another, the prosecution of a judge, (prise à partie), and conflicts of jurisdiction between different courts.
3 Chamber of Accounts
This Chamber is composed of a President of Chamber, two Councillors, Referendary Judges whose number is determined by the Ordinance of the First President of the Supreme Court on request of the President of the Chamber and Solicitor General with his Deputies. It gives rulings on reckonings of public accountants, the management of funds and the accounting of every institutions receiving stating funding.
Even though the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court is relatively poor on constitutional matters, some decisions worth mentioning: the decision 93/004/CS/CCA of October 28, 1993 concerning the challenge to the candidacy of General Lansana Conte (the actual President) to the Presidential election of October 5, 1993 launched by M. Bah Mamadou, Presidential candidate of Republican National Union (UNR). Published in the Official Gazette of Novenber 10, 1993.
Decision 002/CS/CCA of July 25, 1996 concerning the challenge to the Organic relating to the protection and benefits of the former Presidents launched by M. Bah Mamadou, leader of UNR, published in the Official Gazette of August 10, 1996.
However, it is relatively rich in civil and criminal matters which can read in the Bulletin de la Justice Guinéenne’ (Bulletin of Guinean Justice) ‘Recueil des Decisions des Courts et Tribunaux avec Commentaires’ (Compedium of Decisions of courts with Comments)
This judicial system is marked by the existence of various categories of courts: ordinary courts, the special courts and administrative organs of judicial characteristics.
These courts have a general jurisdiction, meaning that their jurisdiction covers all matters except those excluded by special laws and conferred to other courts. They comply with the double-degree principle.
They are courts of first instance; this means that they are courts before which cases are brought in the first place. Their jurisdictions are determined according to the monetary values of the interest of the case before them. They are:
The reform of 1986[17] laid the ground for the legislator to create a Justice of the Peace in every prefecture of the country. And the law n#021,[18] like the precedent, stipulated that the jurisdiction of a Justice of the Peace covers the Prefecture in which it is established and retained 26 Justices of the Peace in the country.
Article 61 of law n# 021 provides that Justice of the Peace is headed by a President, who is a ‘unique judge.[19]That judge assumes at the same time the functions of Judge, the Prosecutor and Examining Magistrate. There can also be one or several surrogate judges or Examining Magistrates appointed in a Justice of the Peace.
The jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace is the main difference between it and other courts. Subject to particular legislative provisions or rules, Justice of the Peace is competent in all matters except those involving the Administration.[20]Therefore, it has jurisdiction in both civil and penal cases.
- Jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters
According to Article 63 of law n# 021, Justice of the Peace deals with every civil matter and commercial matters in first resort (with possibility of appeal) the value of which does not exceed fifty thousand (50,000) Guinean francs. However, according to the same provision, this amount can be amended by Presidential Decree taken on proposal of the Minister of Justice.
Moreover, in addition to the procedures of injunction to pay and to do, provided by the code of civil proceedings, the jurisdiction of the Justice of the Peace extends, in first resort, to all action-at-law related to the capacity of individuals. Its jurisdiction also covers all requests of payment, review and suppression of alimony.
These jurisdictions of Justices of the Peace in civil and commercial matters go along with other jurisdictions, as it will be observed:
- Jurisdictions of Justice of the Peace in penal cases
Here the Justice of the Peace has double jurisdictions in minor offences called contraventions and misdemeanours.[21]
The Justice of the Peace deals with offences considered as contraventions.[22]These offences are punished by an imprisonment for one to fifteen days, and a fine from ten to fifty thousand Guinean francs with possibility of seizing objects related to the reprehensible act.[23]
However, Justice of the Peace is allowed to take cognizance of civil suit conjunctive to the prosecution engaged to punish offences, which fall within its jurisdiction whatever may be the values of the request.
There is another category of offence within the jurisdiction of Justice of the Peace, which is relatively more important. It is the offences referred to as misdemeanours. They are offences of breach of law punishable by maximal imprisonment of five years. These offences are normally conferred to the jurisdiction of the Tribunals of First Instance called in penal matters, Tribunals of Misdemeanour (tribunal correctionnel), court to be looked at ulteriorly.
However, acting as a court of exception, the legislature removed some misdemeanours from the jurisdiction of the Tribunal First Instance to be conferred to Justice of the Peace. Subject to the provisions of the Code of penal proceedings, Justice of the Peace deals with offences committed by minors within the limits of its territorial jurisdiction.[24]
As it will be analyzed later, the decisions of first resort of Justice of the Peace are brought in appeal before the Court of Appeal.[25]
The Justice of the Peace is not the only court of the first degree, its jurisdiction, as observed before, is limited, ground for the existence of other jurisdiction of first degree for matters out of its reach.
The law n#021 after all the abovementioned amendments retained ten Tribunals of First Instance on the national territory of Guinea.[26]These courts have their seats in Boke, Kindia, Mamou, Labe, Kankan, Faranah, N’Zerekore and three in the special zone of Conakry.[27]
The special zone of Conakry was introduced in the legal organization by article 40 Paragraph 1 of the Presidential Decree n#031. This specialty can be perceived in the organization of Tribunals of First Instance.
For its structure, according to article 39 of the Law n#021, the Tribunal of First Instance is divided into two sections: Civil and Administrative Section, and the Penal Section.
By derogation to this article, according to the abovementioned Presidential Decree, the three Tribunals of the special zone of Conakry have three sections: Commercial Section, Civil and Administrative Section, and Penal Section.[28]
Each section deals with matters falling within its territorial jurisdiction. The President of the Tribunal is responsible for its proper functioning.[29]
The derogation to article 39, as mentioned before, concerns only the jurisdiction of the Tribunals of the special zone of Conakry; it does not make any fundamental distinction regarding the composition of the tribunals.
With regard to their compositions, the Tribunal of First Instance is headed by a unique Judge.[30]However, the principle of collegiality applies in social cases (labor matters). This composition is as follows:[31]one President, one or several magistrates, one or several Examining Magistrates, and for the special zone of Conakry, one senior magistrate of Preliminary Examination.
The duty of the Examining Magistrate is to inform the accused of either the retention of charge against him or his acquittal.
The other members of the court are a Chief Clerk assisted by one or several Clerks, the Prosecutor Office is represented by a Public Prosecutor and one or several Deputy Public Prosecutors.
In view of the importance of the Public Prosecutor, his duties are herein below examined.
i Public Prosecutor assigns magistrates of his office to different sections of the tribunal at the beginning of the year.[32]
ii He may review this assignment during the year, and if necessary, exercise by himself their duties,
iii He is in charge of financial and logistic management of the tribunal. In that regard he concerts with the President of the tribunal who is cosignatory of all acts of management.[33]
iv He controls the execution of sentences within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal; supervises the work of the police officers of the Criminal Investigation Department, as well as the establishment of the police records.[34]
v He pays periodic visit to police station in order to avoid unduly prolongation of preventive detention and custody.[35]
vi The President and the Public Prosecutor of the tribunal carry out inspections in Justices of the Peaces in their jurisdiction. They (according to their respective responsibilities) ensure the proper administration of the judicial services and normal regulation of cases. They report on their observations, respectively, to the first President of the Court of Appeal, and the Solicitor General, Procureur General.[36]
vii In case of absence or prevention, the Public Prosecutor is replaced by the senior Deputy Public Prosecutor according to the Act of appointment.[37]
These elements entering in the composition of the Tribunal of First Instance are engaged complementarily or in interaction for its proper functioning.
In their functioning the Tribunals of First Instance have three kinds of sittings: the ordinary sitting, which is to make usual decisions within their jurisdictions[38], the itinerant sittings taking place outside the seat of the Tribunal. However, it cannot be held outside the jurisdiction of the Tribunal. And the last type of sitting is the solemnly sitting, which takes place at the beginning of every judicial reopening. It gathers all the magistrates of the Tribunal.
It is worthy to notice that these sittings deal only with matters falling within the jurisdiction of the tribunals.
For its jurisdiction, being an ordinary court, the Tribunal of First Instance has a general jurisdiction with regard to every individual and every matter to the exception of those expressly attributed to the jurisdiction of another court.[39] As such, it is competent:
i In first resort on administrative conflicts subject to the provisions of article 102 of the law L/91/008/CTRN of December 23, 1991(hereafter the law n#008) aiming at the jurisdiction, organization and functioning of the Supreme Court.[40]
ii It has an exclusive jurisdiction in matters determined by the Code of Civil Proceedure.[41]
iii It is also competent in other matters conferred to it by special Acts.
A Tribunal for children has been established near every Tribunal of First Instance, to the exception of the special zone of Conakry, which harbors only one for all the three Tribunals. It deals with conflicts related children within their territorial jurisdiction.[42] Paragraph 1 of the same article 102 creates a Tribunal of Labor for the special zone of Conakry.
The Civil and Administrative Section is equally competent in social and commercial matters.
The Penal Section is to determine misdemeanours and contraventions committed by persons having reached their age of majority. The President of the Tribunal, who is responsible for its proper functioning, settles the conflicts of jurisdictions between the Sections.[43]
Both the Justices of the Peace and Tribunals of First Instance are courts of the first degree. According to the principle of double degree of courts, a decision pronounced by those courts can be taken in appeal to another court hierarchically superior. That is the court of the second degree.
In Guinea, the Court of Appeal is the only court of second degree. The law n#021, which organized it, created two Courts of Appeal in the country: one in Conakry, and the other in Kankan.[44]Each of them has an attributive jurisdiction and a territorial jurisdiction covering two natural regions:[45]the Court of Appeal of Conakry covers Lower Guinea and Middle Guinea. Thus, it has under its command seven Tribunals of First Instance: Kaloum, Mafanco, Dixinn, Kindia, Boke, Mamou and Labe, with fourteen Justices of the Peaces.[46]And the Court of Appeal of Kankan covers the Forest Region and Upper Guinea. It has three Tribunals of First Instance: Kankan, N’zerekore and Faranah, with twelve Justices of the Peaces.[47]
As it will be observed, their structure is different from that of Tribunals of First Instance.
For its Composition and structure, according to article 13 of the law n#014, each Court of Appeal is divided into three chambers: the Chamber of Accusation also called the First Chamber; the Civil, Commercial, Administrative and Social Chamber; and the Chamber for Misdemeanour.
By derogation to this article, article 14 of the same law n#021, provided for at least five Chambers for the special zone of Conakry with the existence of two separate Commercial Chambers.
Article 20 of the law n# 021 organized the Court of Appeal as follows: the President (the first President), the Presidents of Chambers, the Councillors to the Court, the Chief Clerk assisted by several Clerks, the Prosecutor Office is represented by Solicitor General the First Deputy Solicitor General, and other Deputy Solicitor Generals.
As provided by Article 29 paragraphs 1 to 5 of the Presidential Decree n#031, the functions of Solicitor General are the same as those of Public Prosecutor.
Likewise the composition, the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal is different from those of the courts of the first degree.
With regard to its Jurisdiction, according to article 8 of the law n#014, the Court of Appeal deals with:
i Civil, economic and social matters as well as the decisions on misdemeanour pronounced in first resort by Justices of the Peace and Tribunals of First Instance brought before it in appeal. It can also take cognizance of decisions pronounced by professional disciplinary organs or arbitrator’s awards according to the law or the will of the parties.
ii Matter transferred to it by Supreme Court, after annulment.[48]
The Court of Appeal is Judge of exequatur of legal decisions pronounced abroad. The First President is Judge of exequatur of arbitrator’s awards.[49]
In order to carry out its different functions, the law n#021 provides that the Court of Appeal has three kinds of sittings: Ordinary Sitting, Solemn Sitting and General Assembly.
The Ordinary Sitting is the Sitting of judgement. It gives ruling on appeal lodged on decisions of courts under its territorial jurisdiction, and on transferred cases after annulment. Here the Court is composed of three persons: the President, the Clerk and the representative of the Prosecutor’s Office.
In case of prevention of the President of a Chamber, he is replaced on request of the First President, by another President of Chamber of the same court, or by the senior Councillor of the Chamber.[50]The law n#021 continues by stipulating that in case of prevention of a Councillor, he is replaced by another Councillor of the same Chamber, or on request of the First President, by another Councillor of another Chamber.
During the Solemn Sitting the Court is composed at least of five members including the First President or his representative, the Solicitor General or his representative. It takes place in the First Chamber, all the Judges wearing red robes. It gathers for the followings occasions: case of taking issue with a judge, the swearing in of Judges, and the installation of members of the Court.[51]The Court has no jurisdiction to rule in Ordinary Sitting over matters that should be dealt with in Solemn Sitting.
The Court of Appeal gathers for General Assembly for special purposes. It is called at the request of the First President of the Court.[52]It is responsible for various measures: establishing and amending the internal rules of the Court of Appeal and Chambers, ruling in appeal on decision pronounced by Council of the Bar Association and those of other auxiliaries of justice under its jurisdiction, as well as litigations on elections of different members of those Councils.
The responsibility of the First Presidents is quite preponderating in the Courts. Article 25 of the law n# 021 provides that the First Presidents are the organizers of the Courts, and as such they:
- Confer matters to Chambers and control the general role, appoint at the Sittings of the Presidents of Chamber or Councillors. They are the chiefs of the courts instead of the Solicitor General as it was the case during the first regime of popular courts. In this regard, they represent the court; invite the Presidents of Chambers and Councillors to public ceremonies. Like the Solicitor General, they have considerable administrative attributions in the evaluation and promotion of sitting judges of their Court, whereas, the standing judges are under the command of the Solicitor General.
- They settle conflicts of jurisdiction between the Chambers. They make, in agreement with the Minister of Justice, the judicial schedule of the Court. They hold hearings of summary procedures. They can preside over any Chamber if they feel necessary. [53]When the President of a Court presides over a Chamber, the President of that Chamber sits as the First Councillor.[54]In case of prevention, the First President is substituted by the senior President of Chamber, or Senior Councillor according to the Act of appointment.
All the ordinary courts have a common characteristic, their permanence. However, there is one that makes exception to this rule, the Court of Assizes. It is the Court of the ordinary law in cases of crime. Is defined as crime by the Guinean Penal Code an offence punished by infamatory or defamatory sanctions.[55]There are two Courts of Assizes in Guinea: one located in Conakry and the other in Kankan: that means that their jurisdiction regularly covers that of the Courts of Appeal of those Cities. They do not sit permanently, in principle they hold their sitting once a year. However, due to circumstances and necessity of public order, they can sit more once, and out of their usual seats by the decision of the Minster of Justice.
The non-permanent nature of the Court is sustained by its composition. This Court is a collegial institution (decisions are taken by all the judges) and is composed of professional judges and a jury constituted by ordinary citizens. It is headed by a President designated by the First President of the Court of Appeal for every session among the Presidents of Chambers or Councillors of the same Court. The President of the Court of Appeal can exercise this function himself if necessary. The President is assisted by two assessors who must either be Judges of the Court of Appeal or magistrate of Tribunals of First Instances.
The jury is composed of four members called jurés, the jurors:[56] They are appointed by Presidential Decree at the beginning of the year from a list of prominent personalities among the citizens.
The Solicitor General is from the Court of Appeal, and the secretariat is assumed either by the Chief Clerk or any other Clerk of the same Court.
Since the court does not sit regularly, its jurisdiction is specific. As mentioned before, the Court of Assizes, in substantive issues, is competent in crime related cases transferred to it by the Chamber of Accusation of the Court of Appeal. It concerns itself mainly with crimes of ordinary law committed by people having reached their age of majority.[57]Consequently, a person aged less than 13 years cannot be punished since such person is presumed by law to lack the capacity to commit criminal offences. The person only risks measures of protection, assistance and surveillance.
This jurisdiction is considerably extended under the principle of plenitude of jurisdictions according to which it cannot declare itself incompetent for any case referred to it by the Chamber of Accusation.[58] The Court of Assizes is thus competent to pronounce on cases qualified as misdemeanour or contravention when they are connected or indissociable with a crime or when it concerns an offence occurring during the hearing. This may sometimes arise from an error of qualification by the Chamber of Accusation.
Similarly the court can take cognizance of cases concerning minors over 13 years of age prosecuted for committing a crime. However, in such case, its composition changes to include the President of the Tribunal for Children or a magistrate for Children replacing one of the Councillors. The decisions of the Court of Assizes are liable of challenge before the Supreme Court.
The territorial jurisdiction of the Court of Assizes is triple: it can be where the crime has been committed, where the suspected criminal resides or where he as been arrested.
All of the abovementioned institutions are meant to determine all cases within their substantive jurisdiction and concerning every individual within their territorial sphere. However, the Guinean system has also other categories of courts that are in many regards different from each other.
These courts have specialized jurisdictions either with regard to the subject matter or the quality of the individuals concerned. They are different from ordinary courts. Each of these courts is discussed in foregoing parts of this discourse.
These are courts charged with the responsibility of determining matters relating to minors (people under 18 years of age at the moment when the offence was), especially in which they are offenders. These courts form a category of courts of exception. Therefore their jurisdiction is confined within the limit of legislations that need to be strictly interpreted. They are the Tribunals for Children, the Court of Assizes for Children and Magistrate for Children.
The Magistrate for Children can (that is, in fact, the case very often) first investigates the offence committed by the minor through what is known as preliminary examination. He can also perform the function of judge by constituting alone the whole court.
After this brief examination of court for minors, we will look at other more complex institutions of exception.
This court has been established by the Organic Law L/91/009 of December 1991, which provides for its attribution, organization as well as its functioning.
With regard to its organization, the High Court is composed of a President who is a judge of judicial category elected by the General Assembly of the Supreme Court; a Substitute of the President; six fulltime judges and three surrogate judges elected among members of the National Assembly and sworn in by it.
The functions of Public Prosecutor are carried out by the Solicitor General of the Supreme Court assisted by the Deputy Solicitor General. The Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court is the Clerk of the High Court of Justice.
Closely related to the High Court is established a Commission of Preliminary Examination composed of three fulltime members and three substitutes members. They are chosen among the sitting judges of the Court of Appeal by the General Assembly of the same, excluding the standing judges, at the end of the judicial year, which begins, with the ordinary year for a period of one year. The President of the Commission is chosen the same way from the fulltime judges.
With regard to its jurisdiction, the High Court deals with cases against the President of the Republic for ‘high treason’; similarly, the court deals with cases against Cabinet Ministers for offences defined as crime and misdemeanour committed in exercise of their functions.
However, The co-authors and accomplices of the Cabinet Ministers are brought before ordinary courts. These courts stay the execution of their decision for the decision of the High Court of Justice.
The decisions of the High Court are not liable to appeal before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
If the High Court of the Justice is not a permanent court of exception and its jurisdiction being linked to the quality of the persons suspected of committing the offence, there is another court of exception with permanent characteristic.
It is the nature of the offence that determines the jurisdiction of this court. It was created by the Ordinance n# 152/PRG/85 of August 10, 1985. It is a permanent court of exception.
Regarding its organization, the Court of State Security is composed of a President who is a judge of the Supreme Court, two professional judges and two high officers of the army. The Prosecutor is assisted by two Deputies chosen among army officers. The Clerk Office is occupied by a high officer of the army.
It has jurisdiction in both peacetime and wartime and covers the whole national territory. It takes cognizance of crimes and misdemeanours of political nature.
However, this jurisdiction is optional since, the Prosecutor can transfer those cases to ordinary courts. The appreciations of the offence as well as the application of the punishments are made according to the Guinean Penal Code. The decisions of the court cannot be appealed. Nevertheless, those pronounced in absence of the suspect can be subject to review.
Besides the Court of State Security, which deals with matters that are political in nature involving adults, there is another court, which deals with special category of people.
The structure and functioning of the Military Tribunal are governed by the Ordinance n#153/PRG/85 of August 10, 1985. Its jurisdiction covers the national territory. According to article 849 of the Code of Penal Proceedings, the Military Justice is dispensed under the control of the Supreme Court by the Military Tribunal. This court the seat of which is in Conakry can sit in both peacetime and wartime periods.
The Military Tribunal is composed of a President who is a professional judge, assisted by four Assessors one of whom is a professional judge, a Judge of Preliminary Examination from judicial category courts on detachment for temporary service at the Ministry of Defence; two militaries of higher or equal rank as the accused. The Prosecutor’s Office is occupied by another judge of judicial category of court on detachment for temporary service at the Ministry of Defence. There is a Chief Clerk assisted by two Clerks.
Its jurisdiction covers all the offences of military nature. These offences are listed by article 3 of the abovementioned Ordinance. They include: high treason, damage to the internal and external security of the State, destruction of property, desertion, defaulting, abuse of authority and embezzlement.
In the past, the ordinary offence committed by the military in time of peace were brought before the military tribunal. But due to the scope of misdemeanours committed by the military and the impunity that followed, the Ordinance n#021/PRG/88 gave jurisdiction to tribunals of judicial category of courts to deal with all offences of ordinary law committed by members of the army in time of peace.
Cases are referred to the Military Tribunal according to the procedures of seisin of the ordinary courts. The decisions of the Military Tribunal can only be challenged before the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court.
The High Court of Justice, the Court of State Security and the Military Tribunal are courts of exception either according to the nature of the offence or the quality of the accused person where the State is a party, but not conflicts among individuals. There is a court of exception of that sort of jurisdiction.
This tribunal like other tribunals having exceptional jurisdiction, has a specialized jurisdiction since it deals with labor matters only.
They are governed by labor law, social legislations and social security.
There are two Labor Tribunals in Guinea: in Conakry and Kankan, therefore their jurisdiction is not national.
For their structure, Labor Tribunals comprise a President and a Vice-President both of whom are magistrates, two Assessors and their Substitutes chosen from the employees, and two Assessors from the employers. The Assessors and Substitutes of employees are chosen from annual lists presented by the most representative trade unions or, in case of clear signs of weakness of those trade unions, the lists can be presented by the inspectorships of labor.
The two Assessors of employers are selected from annual lists of the Minister of Justice according to the proposal of the Department in charge of labor. The number of names on those lists must at least double the number of positions provided. The terms of office of the Assessors and their Substitutes are one year, which is renewable.
The Assessors and their Substitutes are sworn in by the Tribunal of First Instance under the territorial jurisdiction of which they are.
From the list prepared by the Ministry of Labor, the President of the Tribunal selects for each case, the Assessors of employers and employees from the profession in which the conflict rose. Even though the tribunal is composed of several sections of professional categories, only the Assessors concerned by those professional categories can be invited to sit. However, that rule is not imperative.[59]
The Clerk Office is held by a Chief Clerk assisted by one or several Clerks hereto referred as Secretaries.
For its jurisdiction, every Labor Tribunal is territorially competent within the limit of the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal where it sits. Substantively, it is competent for all conflicts related to labor: individual or collective litigation between employers and employees during the execution of labor contracts, which includes working conditions, salaries and sacking. It also deals with matters related to accidents at work place and social security. Its jurisdiction does not only cover private sectors but also the State agents as well as those of territorial entities with the exception of fulltime civil servants and members of the disciplinary forces.
The role of this tribunal is first to conciliate the parties before going into the full process and second, to examine the conflict. Its decisions can be challenged before the Court of Appeal. The proceedings before the Tribunal of Labor are governed by the Guinean Labor Code.[60]
The Guinean legal system is thus animated by those courts, some of which are superimposed while others juxtaposed. It is unified at the top through the existence of a Supreme Court that will be looked at in the next part.
Besides those classical jurisdictions some of which are ordinary while others are exceptional, there exist administrative organs of judicial characteristics. They received from law the jurisdiction to exercise certain functions of courts. These are the Guinean Bar Association, the Association of the Guinean Medical Practitioners and the Chamber of Arbitration of Guinea.
Even though they are not on the official list of courts, thus not falling within the scope of this discourse, we shall examine the most prominent among them because of the intensity of its activities: the Chamber of Arbitration of Guinea.
Arbitration consists for the litigants, of requesting a private individual to regulate the conflict opposing them. It is therefore a private justice system on contract basis. According to an experienced businessman, there are two main reasons explaining while Arbitration is frequently used in matters of economic activities: the first is that litigations in business sector do not usually carry the public order characteristics, the Chamber functions according to the rules of private management. A simple arbitration being licit is highly preferable. The second is that the business sector is more attentive to the advantages of Arbitration with regard to classical judicial practices because it holds speedy justice cleared of many formalities of usual proceedings. Further, it is relatively less costly and it makes use of professionals in the field of business instead of judges who may have a less profound knowledge about economic activities. Finally, Arbitration is marked by the secrecy of the parties.
This institution has been put in place by the Presidential Decree D/150/PRG/SGG of August 11, 1998 (hereinafter the Decree n#150). According to this Act, the Chamber of Arbitration is transitionally attached and placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. Its mission consists of providing means to Guinean and foreign businessmen to regulate their conflicts through arbitrators they freely chose. It organizes and supervises the operations of arbitration. Its seat is Conakry.
For its proper functioning, the Chamber of Arbitration is divided into three organs: the Council of Administration, the Committee of Arbitration, and the Administrative Bureau.[61]They shall be analyzed successively.
According to article 6 of Decree n#150 the Council of Administration is composed of the seven following members:
i An accountant expert chosen by the Minister in charge of promoting private sector on the proposal of the Association of the Accountant Experts in Guinea,
ii A jurist expert chosen by the Minister of Justice,
iii A banking expert chosen by the Minister of Finance on the proposal of the Association of the Banking Professionals,
iv A representative of the Chamber of Mining,
v A representative of the Chamber of Agriculture,
vi Two representatives of the Chamber of Industries and Commerce and Handcraft one of whom is from the sector of Industry the other from Commerce and Handcraft.
To be a member of this Council one has to be businessman of high moral integrity, mastering the activities susceptible of being brought before the Chamber, be a qualified lawyer in the field of Business Law or be qualified in Assistance to private sector.
Members of the Council of Administration have a three-years mandate renewable once.
It is a technical team composed of three permanent members and three substitutes, all chosen by the Council of Administration.[62] This Committee is in charge of every task related to the proper unfolding of the proceedings of arbitration.[63]
It has three services: the service of secretariat, the accounting service, and the service of documentation. It is headed by the General Secretary who is in charge of administrative and financial management of the Chamber under the control of the Administrative Council.
The Secretary General and the heads of the services as well as other agents of the Bureau are all selected by the Council of Administration.
The following resources are available for the proper functioning of the chamber: Chamber’s own resources, Subsidy from Consular Chambers, Subsidy from the Government and international donors, Donations and legacy.
The courts are institutions set up by the State to settle conflicts between individuals as well as the governed and the governors. They do not look for cases for themselves, but cases are brought before them by the parties, thence the necessity of examining ways through which those matters are taken to them.
Like the categories of matters (civil and penal matters), there are two kinds of proceedings before Guinean courts: civil and penal proceedings. These proceedings are not opposed. They are in fact in many cases complementary. However, they are not substitutable nor are they conjunctible.
Distinction between penal and civil proceedings is easy to established: one of the main differences between penal and civil proceedings is that the former is destined to protect the society against those who threaten the basis on which it is built: the proceedings in penal matters tend to protect public order by means of applying punishments. It is mainly inquisitory meaning that it is exercised by the judges in the courts by gathering evidences of the offence and appreciating them. The intimate conviction of the judge is very determinant in this process. It goes beyond the will of the parties. Meanwhile the proceedings in civil matters seek the balance between private interests. It is mainly accusatory for the fact that it is up to the parties to determine the subject of their litigation, and bring evidences in support of their contentions. They can also put an end to it by renunciation or transaction.
These two types of proceedings being different, they must be analyzed separately.
1 Penal proceedings in the Guinean legal system
It consists of all the rules destined to expose the offences and offenders and ensure the application of punishment the latter deserve. It consists in two essential judicial stages: the first stage is related to the determination of the identity of the offender by gathering evidence against him and the second is the application of law.
The first step is the preparatory examination intended to identify the suspect and gather peaces of information around him. It is conducted by a unique magistrate. The second is the definitive preliminary examination, which leads to judgement. It can be detailed in case of appeal.
For offences defined as contravention and misdemeanour, the first step is optional for the fact that there can be direct summons before the tribunal.
It will be reasonable to wonder who can set the penal proceedings in motion. According to article 1 of the Guinean Code of Penal Proceedings, seeking the application of punishment to offenders, the penal proceedings are set in motion by law-officers and state functionaries to whom law confers that responsibility. Therefore, the Prosecutor’s Office, which represents the society, is the first concerned with this responsibility.
Due to its importance, this institution shall be analyzed in detail among the constitutive elements of penal proceedings.
The phrase Prosecutor Office has double meanings: on the one hand it refers to all the judges responsible for setting the proceedings in motion, on the other it means a single judge who represents the society during the trial. If this institution exists in both civil and penal proceedings, its role is more pre-eminent in the latter. To carry out its missions it is marked by the following characteristics:
i Indivisibility. The judges of the same Prosecutor Office can substitute one another without changing their position vis-à-vis the case. They are unified under the authority of the Executive Power, and they represent the society.
ii Hierarchy. There is a hierarchy between the members of this office headed at the national level by the Minister of Justice. They obey this rule.
iii Non-responsibility. If they fail in a case, these law-officers cannot be subject to payment of damages to the accused person.
iv Independence. They are independent from the sitting judges. They do not receive any order from the courts to which they are assigned. According to article 606 of the Code of Penal Proceedings, they cannot be challenged in appeal. And according to ‘’the principle of opportunity of prosecution’’, the Prosecutor can stop or decide not to start at all a prosecution.[64]
However, the Prosecutor’s Office is not always free to start the proceedings. There are some circumstances that hinder its impetus. They are as follows:
- Cases in which the setting of proceedings in motion is subordinated to a complaint or a preliminary denunciation: when the proceeding is liable to cause further damages to the victim. For instance the offence of slander in the Press cannot be prosecuted without the consent of the victim.
- Cases in which the setting in motion of proceedings is subordinated to a preliminary judgement. It may be that the solution of penal case supposes that a question linked to civil jurisdiction is first settled. For instance the offence of abandonment of family unless it is determined by a civil court that the couple is legally married.
Proceedings can also be initiated in penal matters by other means. Here, two hypothesises are foreseeable: some public administration like tax service and Bureau of Customs can set the proceedings in motion as well as the victim of the offence.
The next question raised is about the steps to bring the case before a penal court. Two institutions play that role: the Examining Magistrate at the Tribunal of First Instance, and the Chamber of Accusation at the Court of Appeal. They examine serious and complex cases. This process is compulsory in criminal matters, but optional in misdemeanours and only on request of the Public Prosecutor in contravention.
The Examining Magistrate is an independent entity of the first instance in the penal proceedings. It is independent vis-à-vis both the Prosecutor’s Office and the court of the decision. Its mission is to gather information and evidence around the suspect and decide whether the charges lodged against him are serious enough to be referred to a court.
The Chamber of Accusation, which is one of the Chambers of the Court of Appeal, pronounces on appeals launched against ordinances of the judges of Examining Magistrate. It intervenes also in criminal cases as the second-degree.
A matter can also be brought before the penal court by other means:
i The process of summons ‘‘citation directe.’’ It is made by means of a writ delivered on request of Public Prosecutor without passing through the stage of preliminary examination. This process is not possible in a criminal case in which the preliminary examination is always necessary.
ii The suspect can conduct himself to the court by ‘voluntary appearance in court’,
iii The notice of judicial appointment or judicial rendezvous. It happens on the decision of the Public Prosecutor to release a suspect that should appear immediately by arranging an appointment with him for a later appearance. This schedule cannot be less than ten days and more than two months.
iv The appearance ex officio. Exceptionally, the court can refer a case to itself ex officio on request of by the Public Prosecutor when the offence is committed during the trial.
After the application to a court at the preliminary stage in due form, the hearing is the next step. It has some characteristics worth of mentioning:
i The publicity: the trial is held publicly. There can be no exception to this rule unless for sake of public mores or public order.
ii The hearing is contradictory: the parties are on equal footing before the court of decision. They discuss on equal basis under the control of the President of the court to whom the direction of the trial is granted.[65]
The use of any camera (video or photo) or sound recording device remains proscribed inside the court during the hearing unless otherwise authorized.[66]
After all the necessary steps for the manifestation of the truth in due process, the judicial decision is the outcome.
Every decision pronounced by a court has to be subject of a deliberation, even if it is a unique judge. It can be pronounced outright after the judgement (that is the case with the Court of Assizes) or in later hearing. This decision, which must be justified, is pronounced orally.
There are various kinds of decisions:
i Provisional order: it is not pronounced on the substantive issue of the case, but prepares for its solution. It either settles certain incidents related to the conflict or orders measures that help to enlighten the court.
ii Decision of release or acquittal of the suspect,
iii Decision of exemption from punishment: they are not to be confounded with decisions of release or acquittal for the simple reason that here the accused is found guilty; the court only decides not to apply the prescribed punishment. For instance, a minor under the age of 13, or the one between 13 and 18 years of age against whom a penalty cannot be pronounced. However, the civil responsibility of the offence cannot be excluded for the persons in charge of the offender.
iv Decision issued from sentence: in penal proceedings it pronounces a punishment; sometimes complementary or accessory punishments can be added. With regard to civil suit, the sentence of the accused in penal proceeding proves that he is guilty. Therefore the civil suit can be found well founded and a decision on the value of damages can be pronounced if there is a proof of relation between them.
v Decision of inadmissibility: this decision is pronounced by the court when it feels that the normal procedure was not respected for the application. Therefore it does not examine the substantive aspects of the case.
A decision may not always be the end of the proceeding. There are possibilities of appeal when one feels that errors were committed in the proceeding amounting to an impairment of his rights.
The Guinean Code Penal Proceedings and Code of Civil Proceedings dispose provisions that make available for the amenable some means of redress intended to reform erroneous decisions. Some of these means of redress are ordinary; they give opportunity for the court to examine anew the case in all its aspects, while others are extraordinary. They are admitted in limited enumerated cases by law when ordinary means are exhausted.
In penal proceeding ordinary means are:
i Opposition: in order to respect the principle according to which no one should be sentenced without having been given the opportunity to put forward his arguments, the Code of Penal Procedure set up this means of redress on behalf of individuals against whom a sentence was pronounced in absentia. It is meant to retract the decision so that the case can be retried by the same court.[67]
This appeal can be lodged before the Court of Appeal by the defendant or by the person legally responsible for his act.
If the notification was made to the defendant himself, the deadline to lodge this appeal is within 10 days if the defendant is in Guinea and one month if he is elsewhere.[68]
Another ordinary means of redress is also available.
ii Appeal before the Court of Appeal
It consists of bringing before the Court of Appeal a case already decided in the first instance. The second judgement is to avoid judicial errors. This appeal is not possible in contravention unless the fine pronounced by the court is over 5,000 Guinean francs or if the sentence is an imprisonment. [69]
With regard to the time limit of appeal, it is 15 days from the pronouncement of the decision for the defendant against the decision of the Tribunals of First Instance and one month from the same moment for the Public Prosecutor concerning the decision of the Justice of Peace.[70]
For misdemeanours, article 489 of the same Code stipulates that this appeal is possible against both decisions on the substance and the procedures; decisions of punishment for the same person as the ‘Opposition.’
It is lodged within 15 days from the verdict except the case where up to two months period can be allowed to Public Prosecutor.[71]
The extraordinary means are all brought before the Supreme Court. They are the appeal for annulment and the appeal for revision.
According to Law n#008 this court can deal with two kinds of appeal for annulment: the appeal in the interest of the parties (which is regular) and the appeal in the interest of Law (which is exceptional).
The appeal in the interest of parties is possible in the following circumstances:
- Incompetence of the court of the decision,
- Abuse of authority by the judge (for instance when he gives himself an authority in violation law.),
- Violation of rules governing the procedural issues,
- Violation of rules relating to the substantive issues (for instance qualification of the offence.)
For the appeal in the interest of law, it can be lodged for the violation of procedure by all the parties. For instance when all of them failed to respect a time limit set by law.
Besides this appeal for cassation, which is relatively regular in Guinea, there is another that is more seldom.
This appeal intervenes to correct errors committed in the judgement that were relevant for the outcome of the decision. The following reasons are among the circumstances giving ground to such an appeal:
- When evidence is found, after a sentence for murder, of the presence of the so-called victim,
- When a witness in the hearing has been found guilty, after the decision, of false evidence in another case,
- When another suspect is found guilty (not as an accomplice) and sentenced for the offence for which someone else had been sentenced,
- Any other evidence that reveals the innocence of a first sentenced person.
Coexisting with the penal proceedings is the civil proceedings, which will be examined in the next step.
Giving some similarities between the two proceedings, only two aspects of the civil proceedings will be discussed in order to avoid unnecessary repetition: the jurisdiction in civil proceedings and the means of redress.
The main principles governing the territorial jurisdiction in civil proceedings are as follow:
i In personal or estate case, it is the tribunal of residence of the defendant that is competent. In presence of many defendants from different territorial jurisdictions, the plaintiff has the opportunity to choose the court of one of them.
ii In cases related to real estate, it is the tribunal of the location of the estate that is competent.
iii For birth or death, it is the tribunal of the place of birth or death that is competent.
iv For matter of divorce, it is the tribunal of the last residence of the couple that is competent.
v For cases related to succession, it is the tribunal of the last residence of the deceased person that is competent.
vi For cases involving a company, it is the tribunal of the head office, sometimes that of a branch that is competent.
vii In contract matters, it is either the tribunal of the delivery or that of the place where the contract is executed.
viii In cases related to food or responsibility in marriage, it is the tribunal of the residence of the creditor that is competent.
ix In the maritime conflicts, a matter related to the contestation of delivery, works or hiring, it is either the tribunal of the place where the contract was passed or that of the place where it would have been carried out.
x When a law professional is party to a conflict that is in the jurisdiction of the court to which he is assigned, the plaintiff can bring the case before another tribunal of the same rank.
With regard to means of redress some of which are ordinary and others exceptional, in civil proceedings the ordinary means are as the same as in the penal proceedings, therefore, only the exceptional means will be discussed here. They are:
i Opposition by a third party ‘Tierce opposition’. This appeal is lodged by someone that was not originally party to the conflict but suffers or is likely to suffer the consequences resulting in the decision thereof. Certain conditions are to be met before exercising this process:
- The person must have a real interest or suffered a prejudice (even a simple threat of prejudice),
- He should not have been party or represented to/in the conflict,
- The decision should be susceptible to be attacked by such appeal, which means that it must impair the right of that individual.
The second exceptional means of redress is as important as the first one for the guarantee of right of the individuals.
ii Appeal against the judgement. It is the opportunity offered to a litigant to request the court, which pronounced a decision that has already acquired the authority of res judicata to retract that decision in order to be re-examined in its substantive aspect.
The following reasons are among those that give ground for the admissibility of such appeal:
- When it has been revealed after the decision that the party in favour of whom the decision was pronounced used fraud to convince the court, or
- If evidence concealed by a party has been found after the pronouncement of the decision.
However, some decisions are exempted from such process. They are the provisional orders and the adjudications of the Supreme Court.
Anyway according to articles 658 and 659 of the Code of Civil, Economic and Administrative Proceedings (hereafter Code of Civil Proceedings), this appeal is not possible unless it is proved that the author failed without any premeditation on his side to expose the reason evoked before the decision could have acquired the authority of res judicata. The following extraordinary appeals are possible in Guinea once certain conditions are met:
This appeal is made against a judge for abuse of authorities. The reasons serving ground for this appeal can be as follows:
- Wilful misrepresentation: it appears when the judge deludes a party in order to get his bona fide,
- Fraud: it occurs when the judge accomplishes male fide an act that causes prejudice to a party;
- Peculation: it appears when the judge receives, requires or orders the payment of an amount of money by the parties that was not legally due to him,
- Professional fault: this fault occurs during the preliminary examination or hearing,
- Denial of justice: it appears when a judge voluntarily omits or refuses to take action on a request to him addressed even though he was competent to deal with it.
A last ground of appeal is available not against the judge himself nor the decision on substance:
According to article 201 of the Guinean Code of Civil Proceedings, this appeal is made against a decision pronounced on the question of jurisdiction of the court, not on the substance of the matter.
For the appeals that are common to the two proceedings (penal and civil), they are examined once. That is the case of second instance appeal and the appeal to the Supreme Court. However, there are some close links between the two kinds of proceedings despite their fundamental differences. We need to examine those relationships, which are the following:
- The fact that they can, all, be brought before the same judge. The penal case judge can be competent to take cognizance on civil suit related to the offence,
- Res judicata in penal case has authority on civil proceeding: it is the evidence gathered in the process of penal proceedings that is used to determine civil responsibility of the offender.
The proceedings, be it civil or penal, are not meant to last forever. They come to an end one way or the other. There are some causes that end both civil and penal proceedings. The following are among those reasons:
i A decision that has acquired the authority of res judicata after the exhaustion all the means of redress ends all proceedings.
ii The prescription, the time limit after which no proceeding is available. According to article 8 of Code of Penal Proceedings, no civil suit can be launched after the prescription of the penal proceeding to which it is subordinated. The prescription of all civil suits is after 30 years, for penal proceedings, the prescription is 10 years for offence qualified as crime, 3 years for misdemeanour and 1 year for contravention. When the crime is committed by a minor, the time limit of prescription starts after the period in which he reaches his age of majority.[72]
iii The death of the offender. If the death of the offender ends the penal proceedings, it does not end the civil proceeding unless it occurs before the ends of the final penal decision to which it is linked. Otherwise, it can proceed against the successor of the offender.
iv The abrogation of the penal law. Once the law is abrogated, the act it defined as offence ceases to be so, consequently it will not be incriminated in the future and, exceptionally if the new law is weaker than the old one, the abrogation will benefit retroactively an offender whose case has not yet acquired the authority of res judicata contrarily to article 5 of the Penal Code.[73]
v Transaction. Usually the transaction is not possible in penal cases, however, in limited cases like fiscal matters or matters before the Bureau of Customs. There can be transaction in those cases to end the proceedings.
vi Retraction of complaint. Usually, the penal proceeding, which is entailed to protect the society, cannot be interrupted by simply retracting the complaint. That is possible only when the complaint is a necessary condition of it. Example: violation of privacy and abandonment of family.
Although, all the various decisions pronounced by the abovementioned courts are not yet compiled in a single document or on websites, those of the higher courts are accessible.
The decisions of Guinean courts are now published in either the ‘Bulletin de la Justice Guinéenne’ (Bulletin of Guinean Justice) by the ‘Fondation pour l’Etude et la Promotion du Droit en Guinée’ (Foundation for the Studies and Promotion of Law in Guinea) under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice since 1997 and the ‘Recueil des Decisions des Courts et Tribunaux avec Commentaires’ (Compedium of Decisions of courts with Comments). They are also published in the Official Gazette (Journal Officiel de la République or JORG), which appears every 10th and 25th of each month
1 Publishers
The law libraries are yet to be full of the workers Guinean authors and editors. The few very often cited are:
Dr. Makanera Alhassane, Deen of the Faculty of Law
M. Diaby Alia, in charge of LLM program
M. Drame Alioun, Justice at the Court of Appeal of Conakry
2 Law schools
There are many universities in Guinea (mainly private universities) that have included the teaching of law in the curriculum, however, only two have acquired some popularities. They are:
i Faculty of Law of University of General Lansana Conte of Conakry-Sonfonia.
Once part of the other public university based in Conakry, it has been relocated other part of the City as a separate university. Its websites is under elaboration.
ii University Koffi Annan of Conakry, a private university
iii Other law schools are: Universite La Source, Universite HECA, Universite Nelson Mandela and University Titi CAMARA.
3 Websites of Guinea.
The most visited websites are the following:
ii Aminata
iii Kababachir
iv Droit Francophone - This is a francophone website on which some Guinean legal documents can be found.
The Guinean legal system, as anywhere, is not static, however, it is particularly unstable because the unpredictable nature of the relationship between the main role players on the political scene. The actual Prime Minister whose nomination has been the outcome of popular unrest is not constitutional. Therefore, this position may be a source of tension in the Executive power between the President and his henchmen on one side and the trade unions leaders, who were at the base of this agreement, supported by the population, on the other. There are many voices now supporting the revision of the Constitutional in order to introduce the position of the Prime Minister.
Another reform may target the National Assembly, which is a mono-cameral institution into a bicameral: a Senate and the Parliament.
Moreover, the manifest ambition of some lawyers to see the judiciary reformed with the split of the present Supreme Court into three equal-rank institutions: Cour de Cassation( Supreme Court of Appeal), Cour Constitutionnelle (Constitutional Court) and Conseil d’Etat (Council of State). These are the possible reforms awaiting the Guinean system.
Books
Bah Alseny (2003), Cours d’Institutions Judiciaires, Editions Universitaire
Diaby Alia (2005), Droit Constitutionnel et Sciences Politiques, Editions Universitaire, Conakry, Guinée
Mamadou Alioun Dramé (1999), Droit, Question-Réponse, Editions Universitaires, Conakry, Guinée
Makanera Alhassan Kake, Régime Politique Guinéen, Etudes et Doctrine (2000), Edition Universitaire, Conakry, Guinee
Legal Instruments
Civil Code of Guinea
Penal Code of Guinea
Code of Civil Procedure
Code of Penal Procedure
Guinean Labor Code
Decree n#002/PRG/80 of January 7, 1980
Decree n# 022/MJ/86 of July 12, 1986
Decree n#023/Mj/86 of July 12, 1986
Decree D/150/PRG/SGG of August 11, 1998
Decree D/2001/031/PRG/SGG of May 17, 2001
Law n#004/AN/58 of November 16, 1958
Law n#018/AN/73 of June 16, 1973
Law n#044/APN/CP/80 of November 7, 1980
Law n#045/APN/CP/80 of November 7, 1980
Law n#053 /APN/CP/80 of November 9,1980
Law L/95/021/CTRN/ of June 6, 1995
Law L/98/014/AN/ of June 16, 1998
Law L/91/008/CTRN of December 23, 1991
Law L/91/011/CTRN of December 23, 1991
Law L/93/CTRN of February 6, 1986
Ordinance n#001/PRG/58 of October 13, 1958
Ordinance n#115/PRG/84 of July 14, 1984
Ordinance n#109/PRG/86 of July 15, 1986
Ordinance n#110/PRG/86 of July 5, 1986
Ordinance n#/112/PRG/86 of August 7, 1986
Ordinance n#021/PRG/88 of October 18, 1988
Ordinance n#111/PRG/86 of July 5, 19986
PRG Président de la République de Guinée (President of the Republic of Guinea)
SGG Secretariat General du Gouvernement (General Secretariat of the Government)
CMRN Comité Militaire de Redressement National (Military Committee for National Redress)
MJ Ministère de la Justice (Ministry of Justice)
AN Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly)
CTRN Comité Transitoire de Redressement National (Transitional Committee for National Redress)
CAPA Concours d’Aptitude pour la Profession d’Avocat (Exam of the Aptitude for the Profession of Lawyer)
CP Commission Parlementaire (Parliamentary Commission)
CA Chambre administrative (Adminstrative Chamber)
CS Cour Suprême (Supreme Court)
I: Fundamental Law (Constitution)
French version
Préambule
Par son vote du 28 septembre 1958, le Peuple de Guinée a opté pour la liberté et constitué, le 2 Octobre 1958, un Etat souverain: LA REPUBLIQUE DE GUINEE.
Tirant les leçons de son passé et du changement politique intervenu le 3 Avril 1984,
Le Peuple De Guinee,
Proclame :
L'égalité et la solidarité de tous les nationaux sans distinction de race, d'ethnie, de sexe, d'origine, de religion et d'opinion.
Son adhésion aux idéaux et principes, droits et devoirs établis dans la Charte de l'Organisation des Nations Unies, la déclaration universelle des droits de l'homme, la Charte de l'Organisation de l'Unité Africaine et la Charte Africaine des droits de l'homme et des peuples.
Affirme solennellement son opposition fondamentale à tout régime fondé sur la dictature, l'injustice, la corruption, le népotisme et le régionalisme.
Réaffirme:
Sa volonté de réaliser dans l'unité et la réconciliation nationale, un Etat fondé sur la primauté du droit et le respect de la loi démocraliquement établie ;
Sa volonté d'établir des relations d'amitié et de coopération avec tous les peuples du monde sur la base des principes de l'égalité, du respect de la souveraineté nationale, de l'intégrité territoriale et de l'intérêt réciproque;
- Son attachement à la cause de l'Unité Africaine, de l'intégration sous-régionale du continent.
- Libre de déterminer ses institutions, le peuple de Guinée adopte la présente Loi Fondamentale.
Titre Premier : De La Souveraineté Et De L'Etat
Article 1 : La Guinée est une République unitaire, indivisible, laïque, démocratique et sociale. Elle assure l'égalité devant la loi de tous les citoyens sans distinction d'origine, de race, d ethnie, de sexe, de religion et d'opinion. Elle respecte toutes les croyances.
La langue officielle est le français. L'Etat assure la promotion des cultures et des langues du peuple de Guinée.
Le drapeau est composé de trois bandes verticales et égales de couleur Rouge, Jaune Et Verte.
L'hymne national est « Liberte ». La devise de la Republique est « Travail - Justice - Solidarite ».
Son principe est : Gouvernement du Peuple par le Peuple et pour le Peuple.
Article 2 : La souveraineté nationale appartient au Peuple qui l'exerce par ses représentants élus et par voie de référendum.
Aucune fraction du peuple, aucun individu ne peut s'en attribuer l'exercice.
Le suffrage est universel, direct, égal et secret.
Dans les conditions déterminées par la loi, sont électeurs tous les citoyens guinéens majeurs de l'un et de l'autre sexe, jouissant de leurs droits civils et politiques.
Article 3 : Les partis politiques concourent à l'éducation politique des citoyens et à l'expression du suffrage. Ils présentent seuls les candidats aux élections nationales.
Ils doivent être implantés sur l'ensemble du territoire national.
Ils ne doivent pas s'identifier à une race, une ethnie, une religion ou un territoire.
Ils doivent également respecter les principes de la souveraineté nationale et de la démocratie, l'intégrité du territoire et l'ordre public.
Une loi organique détermine les conditions dans lesquelles les partis politiques se constituent et exercent leurs activités. Elle peut également fixer, pour un temps donné, le nombre maximal de partis susceptibles de se constituer. Elle précise les conditions dans lesquelles un parti qui méconnaît les dispositions des alinéas précédents n'est plus considéré comme légalement constitué.
Article 4 : La loi punit quiconque, par un acte de discrimination raciale, ethnique ou religieuse ou par un acte de propagande régionaliste, porte une atteinte grave à l'unité nationale, à la sécurité de l'Etat, à l'intégrité du territoire de la République ou au fonctionnement démocratique des institutions.
Titre II : Des Libertés, Devoirs Et Droits Fondamentaux
Article 5 : La personne et la dignité de l'homme sont sacrées. L'Etat a le devoir de les respecter et de les protéger.
Les droits et les libertés énumérés ci-après sont inviolables, inaliénables et imprescriptibles. Ils fondent toute société humaine, et garantissent la paix et la justice dans le monde.
Article 6 : L'homme a droit au libre développement de sa personnalité.
Il a droit à la vie et à l'intégrité physique. Nul ne peut être l'objet de tortures, de peines ou de traitements cruels, inhumains ou dégradants.
Article 7 : Il est libre de croire, de penser et de professer sa foi religieuse, ses opinions politiques ou philosophiques.
Il est libre d'exprimer, de manifester, de diffuser ses idées et ses opinions par la parole, l'écrit et l'image.
Il est libre de s'instruire et de s'informer aux sources accessibles à tous.
Article 8 : Tous les êtres humains sont égaux devant la loi. Les hommes et les femmes ont les mêmes droits. Nul ne doit être privilégié ou désavantagé en raison de sa naissance, de sa race, de son ethnie, de sa langue, de ses croyances et de ses opinions politiques, philosophiques ou religieuses.
Article 9 : Nul ne peut être arrêté, détenu ou condamné que pour les motifs et dans les formes prévues par la loi. Tous ont le droit imprescriptible de s'adresser au juge pour faire valoir leurs droits face à l'Etat et ses préposés.
Tous ont droit à un procès juste et équitable, dans lequel le droit de se défendre est garanti.
La loi établit les peines nécessaires et proportionnées aux fautes qui peuvent les justifier.
Article 10 : Tous les citoyens ont le droit de manifestation et de cortège.
Tous les citoyens ont le droit de former des associations et des sociétés pour exercer collectivement leurs droits et leurs activités politiques, économiques, sociales ou culturelles.
Tous les citoyens ont le droit de s'établir et de circuler sur le territoire de la République, entrer et d'en sortir librement.
Article 11 : Quiconque est persécuté en raison de ses opinions politiques, philosophiques ou religieuses, de sa race, de son ethnie, de ses activités intellectuelles, scientifiques ou culturelles, pour la défense de la liberté a droit d'asile sur le territoire de la République.
Article 12 : Le domicile est inviolable. Il ne peut y être porté atteinte qu'en cas de péril grave et imminent, pour parer à un danger commun ou pour protéger la vie des personnes. Toute autre atteinte, toute perquisition ne peut être ordonnée que par le juge ou par l'autorité que la loi désigne dans les formes prescrites par celle-ci.
Le secret de la correspondance et de la communication est inviolable. Chacun a droit à la protection de sa vie privée.
Article 13 : Le droit de propriété est garanti. Nul ne peut être exproprié si ce n'est dans l'intérêt légalement constaté de tous, et sous réserve d'une juste et préalable indemnité.
Article 14 : Le libre exercice des cultes est garanti. Les institutions et les communautés religieuses se créent et s'administrent librement.
Elles ne sont pas soumises à la tutelle de l'Etat.
Article 15 : L'homme a droit à la santé et au bien-être physique. L'Etat a le devoir de les promouvoir, et de lutter contre les épidémies et les fléaux sociaux.
Article 16 : Le mariage et la famille, qui constituent le fondement naturel de la vie en société, sont protégés et promus par l'Etat.
Les parents ont le droit et le devoir d'assurer l'éducation et la santé physique et morale de leurs enfants. Les enfants doivent soin et assistance à leurs parents.
Article 17 : La jeunesse doit être particulièrement protégée contre l'exploitation et l'abandon moral.
Les personnes âgées et handicapées bénéficient de l'assistance et de la protection de la société.
Article 18 : Le droit au travail est reconnu à tous. L'Etat cree les conditions nécessaires à l'exercice de ce droit.
Nul ne put être lésé dans son travail en raison de son sexe, de sa race, de son ethnie ou ses ses opinions.
Chacun a le droit d'adhérer au syndicat de son choix, et de défendre ses droits par l'action syndicale. Chaque travailleur a le droit de participer par l'intermédiaire de ses délégués à la détermination des conditions de travail.
Le droit de grève est reconnu. Il s'exerce dans le cadre des lois qui le régissent. Il ne peut en aucun cas porter atteinte à la liberté du travail.
La loi fixe les conditions d'assistance et de protection auxquelles ont droit les travailleurs.
Article 19 : Le peuple de Guinée détermine librement et souverainement ses institutions et l'organisation économique et sociale de la Nation.
Il a un droit imprescriptible sur ses richesses. Celles-ci doivent profiter de manière équitable à tous les Guinéens.
Il a droit à la préservation de son patrimoine, de sa culture et de son environnement.
Il a le droit de résister à l'oppression.
Article 20 : Chaque citoyen a le devoir de se conformer à la Loi Fondamentale, aux lois et aux règlements.
Chaque citoyen a le devoir de participer aux élections, de promouvoir la tolérance, les valeurs de la démocratie, d'être loyal envers la nation.
Chaque citoyen a le devoir de respecter l'honneur et les opinions des autres.
Chaque citoyen doit contribuer, dans la mesure de ses moyens à l'impôt et doit remplir ses obligations sociales dans les conditions que la loi détermine.
Chaque citoyen a le devoir sacré de défendre la patrie.
Article 21 : L'Etat doit promouvoir le bien- être des citoyens.
Il veille au pluralisme des opinions et des sources d'information.
Il assure la sécurité de chacun, et veille au maintien de l'ordre public.
Il assure la continuité des institutions et des services publics, dans le respect de la Loi Fondamentale.
Il garantit l'égal accès aux emplois publics.
Il favorise l'unité de la nation et de l'Afrique. Il coopère avec les autres Etats pour consolider leur indépendance, la paix, le respect mutuel et l'amitié entre les peuples.
Il assure l'enseignement de la jeunesse, qui est obligatoire. Il crée les conditions et les institutions permettant à chacun de se former. Il garantit la liberté de l'enseignement, et contrôle les écoles privées.
Article 22 : La loi garantit à tous l'exercice des libertés et des droits fondamentaux. Elle détermine la conditions dans lesquelles ils s'exercent.
Elle ne peut fixer de limites à ces libertés et à ces droits que celles qui sont indispensables au maintien de l'ordre public et de la démocratie.
Les groupements dont le but ou l'activité est contraire aux lois ou qui trouble manifestement l'ordre public peuvent être dissouts.
Article 23 : Quiconque occupe un emploi public ou exerce une fonction publique est comptable de son activité, et doit respecter le principe de neutralité du service public. Il ne doit user de ses fonctions à des fins autres que l'intérêt de tous.
Titre III : Du President De La Republique
Article 24 : Le Président de la République est élu au suffrage universel direct.
La durée de son mandat est de sept ans, renouvelable.
Article 25 : Le scrutin pour l'élection du Président de la République a lieu quarante-cinq jours au plus et trente jours au moins avant la date de l'expiration du mandat du President de la République en fonction.
S'il y a lieu de procéder à un deuxième tour de scrutin, celui-ci est fixé au quatorzième jour après le premier tour.
Le Président de la République fixe le jour du scrutin au moins soixante jours avant celui-ci.
Article 26 : Tout candidat à la présidence de la République doit être de nationalité guinéenne, jouir de ses droits civils et politiques et être âgé de quarante (40) au moins et soixante dix (70) ans au plus.
Les candidatures sont déposées au greffe de la Cour Suprême quarante jours au moins et soixante jours au plus avant la date du scrutin. Aucune candidature n'est recevable si elle n'est présentée par un parti politique légalement constitué. Chaque parti ne peut présenter qu'une seule candidature.
Trente neuf jours avant le scrutin, la Cour Suprême arrête et publie la liste des candidats. Les électeurs sont alors convoqués par décret.
Article 27 : En cas de décès ou d'empêchement définitif constaté par la Cour Suprême d'un candidat figurant sur la liste prévue à l'article 26, la Cour Suprême décide s'il y a lieu de rouvrir les délais pendant lesquels des candidatures nouvelles peuvent être déposées. Dans ce cas une nouvelle date du scrutin est fixée dans les conditions prévues à l'article 20.
Article 28 : La campagne électorale est ouverte trente jours avant le scrutin et close la veille de celui-ci à 0 h. En cas de deuxième tour, la campagne électorale est ouverte le lendemain de la proclamation des résultats du premier tour et close la veille du deuxième tour à 0 h.
La Cour Suprême veille à la régularité de la campagne électorale à l'égalité des candidats pour l'utilisation des moyens de propagande, dans les conditions déterminées par une loi organique.
Article 29 : Est élu le candidat qui a obtenu la majorité absolue des suffrages exprimés.
Dans le cas où, à l'issue du premier tour, aucun candidat n'aurait atteint cette majorité, il est procédé à un deuxième tour de scrutin dans les conditions prévues à l'article 25. Seuls peuvent s'y présenter les deux candidats qui, le cas échéant, après retrait des candidats plus défavorisés, se trouvent avoir recueilli le plus grand nombre de suffrages au premier tour.
La Cour Suprême veille à la régularité du scrutin.
Article 30 : Si aucune contestation relative à la régularité des opérations électorales n'a été déposée par l'un des candidats au Greffe de la Cour Suprême dans les huit jours qui suivent le jour où la première totalisation globale des résultats a été rendue publique, la Cour Suprème proclame élu le Président de la République.
En cas de contestation, la Cour statue dans les trois jours qui suivent sa saisie. Son arrêt emporte proclamation ou annulation de l'élection.
En cas d'annulation de l'élection, de nouvelles élections sont organisées dans les soixante jours.
Article 31 : Le Président de la République élu entre en fonction le jour de l'expiration du mandat de son prédécesseur.
Dans le cas où, à la suite de l'annulation d'une élection, aucun des candidats n'a été proclamé élu à cette date, le Président en exercice reste en fonction jusqu'à la. proclamation des résultats.
En cas de décès ou d'empêchement définitif du Président de la République élu avant son entrée en fonction, il est procédé à de nouvelles élections dans le délai de soixante jours. Le Président en exercice reste en fonction jusqu'à la proclamation des résultats.
Par dérogation à l'article 34, en cas de décès ou d'empêchement définitif du Président de la République en exercice avant l'entrée en fonction du Président élu, celui-ci entre immédiatement en fonction.
Le Président de la République est installé dans ses fonctions après avoir prêté serment devant la Cour Suprême. Par ce serment, il s'engage à respecter faire respecter scrupuleusement les dispositions de la Loi Fondamentale et des lois, à défendre les institutions constitutionnelles, l'intégrité du territoire et l'indépendance nationale.
Article 32 : Le Président de la République est protégé contre les offenses, les injures et les calomnies dans les conditions que la loi détermine.
Article 33 : La charge de Président de la République est incompatible avec l'exercice de toute autre fonction publique ou privée, même élective. Il doit, notamment, cesser d'exercer toutes responsabilités au sein d'un parti politique.
Article 34 : En cas de vacance de la fonction de Président de la République consécutive au décès ou à la démission du Président de la République, ou de toute autre cause d'empêchement définitif, la suppléance est assurée par le Président de l'Assemblée Nationale ou, en cas d'empêchement de celui ci, par l'un des vice-présidents de l'Assemblée Nationale par ordre de préséance.
La vacance est constatée par la Cour Suprême, saisie par le Président de l'Assemblée nationale ou, en cas d'empêchement de celui-ci, par l'un de ses vice-présidents.
La durée maximum de la suppléance est de soixante jours. Le scrutin pour l'élection du Président de la République a lieu sauf cas de force majeure constatée par la Cour Suprême, trente-cinq jours au moins, cinquante jours au plus, après l'ouverture de la vacance.
Article 35 : La suppléance du Président de la République s'étend à toutes les fonctions de celui-ci, sauf le droit de recourir au référendum, de prononcer la dissolution de l'Assemblée Nationale, de prendre l'initiative d'une révision de la Loi Fondamentale, d'exercer le droit de grâce.
Article 36 : Les anciens Présidents de la République prennent rang protocolaire immédiatement après le Président de la République, dans l'ordre de l'ancienneté de leur mandat, avant le Président de l'Assemblée Nationale.
Ils siègent de plein droit au Conseil Economique et Social.
Ils bénéficient d'avantages matériels et d'une protection dans les conditions qu'une loi organique détermine.
Article 37 : Le Président de la République veille au respect de la Loi Fondamentale. Il assure le fonctionnement régulier des pouvoirs publics et la continuité de l'Etat. Il détermine et conduit la politique de la nation.
Article 38 : Le Président de la République assure l'exécution des lois et dispose du pouvoir réglementaire, qu'il exerce par décret.
Article 39 : Le Président de la République nomme les ministres, qui l'assistent et qui ne sont responsables que devant lui. Il peut les révoquer.
Il fixe par décret les attributions de chaque ministre. Il peut lui déléguer une partie de ses pouvoirs.
Article 40 : Le Président de la République nomme à tous les emplois civils. Il dirige l'Administration.
Article 41 : Le Président de la République est garant de l'indépendance nationale et de l'intégrité du territoire.
Il est responsable de la défense nationale. Il préside le Conseil Supérieur de la Défense Nationale.
Il est le chef des Armées. Il nomme à tous les emplois militaires.
Article 42 : Le Président de la République accrédite les ambassadeurs et les envoyés extraordinaires auprès des puissances étrangères.
Les ambassadeurs et les envoyés extraordinaires sont accrédités auprès de lui.
Article 43 : Le Président de la République exerce le droit de grâce.
Article 44 : Le Président de la République peut adresser des messages à la nation.
Il ne participe pas aux débats de l'Assemblée Nationale.
Lorsqu'il adresse un message à celle-ci, le message est lu par un ministre.
Article 45 : Le Président de la République peut, après avoir consulté le Président de l'Assemblée Nationale, soumettre au referendum tout projet de loi portant sur l'organisation des pouvoirs publics, concernant les libertés et les droits fondamentaux ou l'action économique et sociale de l'Etat, ou tendant à autoriser la ratification d'un traité.
Il doit, si l'Assemblée nationale le demande par une résolution adoptée à la majorité des deux tiers des membres qui la composent, soumettre au référendum toute proposition de loi portant sur l'organisation des pouvoirs publics ou concernant les libertés et les droits fondamentaux.
Avant de convoquer les électeurs par décret, le Président de la République recueille l'avis de la Cour Suprême sur la conformité du projet ou de la proposition à la Loi Fondamentale. En cas de non conformité, il ne peut être procédé au référendum.
La Cour suprême veille à la régularité des opérations de référendum. Lorsque le référendum a conclu à l'adoption du projet ou de la proposition, il ou elle est promulguée de les conditions prévues à l'article 62.
Titre IV : De L'Assemblée Nationale
Article 46 : L'Assemblée représentative du peuple de Guinée porte le nom d'Assemblée Nationale. Ses membres portent le titre de Députés à l'Assemblée Nationale.
Article 47 : Les Députés à l'Assemblée Nationale sont élus au suffrage universel direct.
La durée de leur mandat est de cinq ans, sauf cas de dissolution. Il peut être renouvelé.
Article 48 : Nul ne peut être candidat s'il n'est présenté par un parti politique légalement constitué.
Les conditions d'éligibilité, le régime des inéligibilités et des incompatibilités sont fixés par une loi organique.
Article 49 : La Cour Suprême veille à la régularité du scrutin et de la campagne électorale qui le précède. Elle reçoit et juge les éventuelles contestations.
Article 50 : Le tiers des Députés est élu au scrutin majoritaire uninominal à un tour. Une loi organique fixe les circonscriptions électorales.
Les deux tiers des Députés sont élus au scrutin de liste nationale, à la représentation proportionnelle. Les sièges non attribués au quotient national sont répartis au plus fort reste.
Article 51 : Une loi organique fixe le nombre de députés et le montant de leur indemnité.
Elle détermine également les conditions dans lesquelles sont élues les personnes appelées à assurer, en cas de vacance, le remplacement des députés jusqu'au renouvellement général de l'Assemblée.
Article 52 : Aucun membre de l'Assemblée Nationale ne peut être poursuivi, recherché, arrêté, détenu ou jugé à l'occasion des opinions ou des votes émis par lui dans l'exercice de ses fonctions de Député.
Aucun Députe ne peut, pendant la durée des sessions, être poursuivi ou arrêté, en matière pénale, qu'avec l'autorisation de I'Assemblée Nationale, sauf en cas de flagrant délit.
Aucun Deputé ne peut, hors session, être arrêté ou détenu qu'avec l'autorisation du Bureau de l'Assemblée Nationale, sauf en cas de flagrant délit, de poursuites autorisées par l'Assemblée ou de condamnation définitive.
La détention préventive ou la poursuite d'un Député est suspendue si l'Assemblée le requiert.
Article 53 : Le Président de l'Assemblée Nationale est élu pour la durée de la législature.
Article 54 : Le règlement de l'Assemblée Nationale est fixé par une loi organique qui détermine :
la composition et les règles de fonctionnement du bureau de l'Assemblée ;
le nombre, le mode de désignation, la composition et la compétence des commissions permanentes ;
les modalités de création de commissions spéciales temporaires;
l'organisation des services administratifs placés sous l'autorité du Président de l'Assemblée ;
les règles de déroulement des débats, de prises de paroles, de vote et le régime disciplinaire des Députés ;
d'une façon générale toutes règles ayant pour objet le fonctionnement de l'Assemblée Nationale dans le cadre des compétences que lui attribue la Loi Fondamentale.
Article 55 : L'Assemblée Nationale se réunit de plein droit en session ordinaire deux fois par an.
La première session s'ouvre le 5 Avril, sa durée ne peut excéder trente jours.
La deuxième session s'ouvre le 5 Octobre, sa durée ne peut excéder soixante jours.
Si le 5 avril ou le 5 octobre est un jour férié l'ouverture de la session aura lieu le premier jour ouvrable qui suit.
La loi de finances de l'année est examinée au cours de la seconde session ordinaire de l'année qui précède.
Article 56 : L'Assemblée Nationale est réunie en session extraordinaire soit à l'initiative du Président de la République soit à la demande de la majorité des membres qui la composent, sur un ordre du jour déterminé.
La session extraordinaire est close dès que l'Assemblée Nationale a épuisé l'ordre du jour pour lequel elle a été convoquée. La durée de la session ne peut dépasser quinze jours.
Les Députés ne peuvent demander une nouvelle session extraordinaire avant l'expiration du mois qui suit la clôture d'une session.
Hormis les cas dans lesquels l'Assemblée Nationale se réunit de plein droit, les sessions extraordinaires sont ouvertes et closes par décret.
Article 57 : Tout mandat impératif est nul.
Le droit de vote des Députés est personnel. La loi organique peut autoriser, exceptionnellement, la délégation de vote. Dans ce cas, nul ne peut recevoir délégation de plus d'un mandant.
Article 58 : Les séances de l'Assemblée Nationale sont publiques. Toutefois, elle peut par un vote à la majorité des membres qui la composent, décider de tenir des séances à huis clos.
Le compte-rendu intégral des débats est publié au Journal Officiel.
Titre V : Des Rapports Entre Le President De La Republique Et L'assemblee Nationale
Article 59 : Sous réserve des dispositions de l'article 45, l'Assemblée Nationale vote seule la loi.
La loi ne peut disposer que pour l'avenir.
La loi fixe les règles concernant :
les garanties des libertés et des droits fondamentaux, les conditions dans lesquelles ils s'exercent et les limitations qui peuvent y être portées ;
les droits civiques, la nationalité, l'état, la capacité des personnes, les régimes matrimoniaux, les successions et les libéralités;
les sujétions imposées pour la défense nationale aux citoyens en leur personne et leurs biens ;
la détermination des infractions, les peines qui leur sont applicables, la procédure pénale, l'amnistie, la création et la composition des ordres de juridiction et les statuts des magistrats;
l'assiette, le taux et les modalités de recouvrement et de contrôle des impôts de toutes natures, et des contributions obligatoires;
le régime électoral de l'Assemblée Nationale en tout ce qui n'est pas indiqué par la Loi Fondamentale, le régime électoral des conseils élus des collectivités territoriales ;
les garanties fondamentales accordées aux fonctionnaires civils et militaires de l'Etat ;
le régime d'émission de la monnaie ;
la création des catégories d’établissements publics;
l'expropriation, la nationalisation ou la privatisation d'entreprises
La loi détermine les principes fondamentaux :
de l'organisation générale de la défense nationale et du maintien de l'ordre public ;
de la libre administration des collectivités territoriales, de leurs compétences et de leurs ressources ;
de l'enseignement ;
du régime de la propriété, des droits réels et des obligations civiles et commerciales ;
du droit du travail, du droit syndical et de la protection sociale ;
du développement culturel et de la protection du patrimoine et de l'environnement.
Des lois de finances déterminent chaque année l'ensemble des ressources et de charges de l'Etat, dans les conditions et sous les réserves prévues par une loi organique.
Des lois de plan fixent les orientations pluriannuelles du développement de la nation et les engagements de l'Etat.
Des lois de programme déterminent par secteur les objectifs de l'action économique et sociale de l'Etat.
Article 60 : Les matières autres que celles qui sont du domaine de la loi ont un caractère règlementaire.
Lorsque des dispositions d'une loi sont intervenues dans ces autres matières, elles peuvent être modifiées par décret après que la Cour Suprême en ait constaté le caractère règlementaire.
Article 61 : L'Assemblée Nationale vote les projets de lois de finances dans les conditions prévues par une loi organique.
Le projet de loi de finances est déposé sur le bureau de l'Assemblée Nationale au plus tard le jour de l'ouverture de la deuxième session ordinaire
L'Assemblée Nationale dispose de soixante jours au plus pour voter le projet. Si pour des raisons de forces majeures, le Président de la République n'a pu le déposer en temps utile, la session ordinaire est suivie immédiatement et de plein droit d'une session extraordinaire dont la durée est au plus égale au temps nécessaire pour couvrir le délai allant du jour dépôt du projet de loi au soixantième jour suivant.
Si, à l'expiration de ces délais, le projet de loi de finances n'a pas été adopté, il peut être mis en vigueur par décret, compte tenu des amendements votés par l'Assemblée Nationale et acceptés par le président de la République.
Si, compte tenu de la procédure prévue ci-dessus, la loi de finances de l'année n'a pu être mise en vigueur avant le début de l'exercice, le Président de la République demande d'urgence à l'Assemblée Nationale l'autorisation de percevoir les impôts. Celle-ci se prononce dans les deux jours. Le Président de la République est autorisé à reconduire par décret le budget de fonctionnement de l'année précédente.
Le Cour Suprême assure le contrôle a posteriori de l'exécution des lois de finances. Elle en fait rapport à l'Assemblée Nationale.
Article 62 : Après son adoption par l'Assemblée Nationale, la loi est transmise sans délai au Président de la République.
Le Président de la République promulgue la loi dans les dix jours. Le délai court huit jours francs après la transmission de la loi adoptée.
Article 63 : Dans le délai de dix jours fixé pour la promulgation, le Président de la République peut, par message, demander à l'Assemblée Nationale une nouvelle délibération qui ne peut être refusée.
Le délai de promulgation est alors suspendu.
La loi ne peut être votée en seconde lecture que si les deux tiers des membres composant l'Assemblée Nationale se prononcent pour son adoption. Son inscription à l'ordre du jour est prioritaire si la majorité des membres composant l'Assemblée Nationale le demande.
Article 64 : Dans les huit jours francs qui suivent l'adoption d'une loi, le Président de la République ou un dixième au moins des Députés peuvent saisir la Cour Suprême d'un recours visant à faire contrôler la conformité de la loi à la Loi Fondamentale.
Le délai de promulgation est alors suspendu.
La Cour Suprême statue dans les trente jours qui suivent sa saisie ou, si le Président de la République en fait la demande, dans les huit jours. L’arrêt de la Cour Suprême est publié au Journal Officiel.
Une disposition d'une loi déclarée non conforme à la Loi Fondamentale ne peut être promulguée ni appliquée. L'arrêt de la Cour Suprême s'impose à tous.
Le délai de promulgation court à compter de la publication de l'arrêt de la Cour Supréme qui déclare la loi conforme à la Loi Fondamentale.
Article 65 : En cas de non promulgation d'une loi par le Président de la République dans les délais fixés, la loi entre en vigueur.
Article 66 : L'Assemblée Nationale peut habiliter par une loi le Président de la République à prendre des mesures qui relèvent normalement du domaine de la loi, pour un délai donné et des objets qu'elle précise.
Dans les limites de temps et de compétences fixées par la loi d'habilitation, le Président de la République prend des ordonnances qui entrent en vigueur dès leur publication, mais deviennent caduques si un projet de loi de ratification n'est pas déposé devant l'Assemblée Nationale avant la date fixée par la loi d'habilitation.
Après cette dernière date, elles ne peuvent être modifiées que par la loi. Elles conservent toutefois valeur règlementaire jusqu'à leur ratification.
Elles peuvent être amendées lors du vote de la loi de ratification.
Article 67 : Les lois qualifiées d'organiques par la présente Loi Fondamentale sont votées et modifiées par la majorité des deux tiers des membres composant l'Assemblée Nationale.
Elles ne peuvent être promulguées si la Cour Suprême, obligatoirement saisie par le Président de la République, ne les a déclarées conformes à la Loi Fondamentale.
L'Assemblée Nationale ne peut habiliter le Président de la République à prendre par voie d'ordonnance des mesures qui relèvent de la loi organique.
Article 68 : L'initiative des lois appartient concurremment au Président de la République et aux Députés à l'Assemblée Nationale.
Article 69 : Le Président de la République et les Députés à l'Assemblée Nationale ont le droit d'amendement. Les amendements du Président de la République sont présentés par un ministre.
Les propositions d’amendement formulées par les Députés ne sont pas recevables s'ils ne relèvent pas du domaine de la loi, ou s'ils entrent dans des compétences déléguées au Président de la République en application de l'article 66 pendant la durée de cette délégation.
Ils ne sont pas recevables lorsque leur adoption aurait pour conséquence soit une diminution des ressources publiques, soit la création ou l'aggravation d'une charge publique à moins que ne soient prévues des recettes compensatrices.
Article 70 : En cas de désaccord entre l'Assemblée Nationale et le Président de la République, représenté par un ministre, sur la recevabilité d'un amendement, la Cour Suprême se prononce dans le délai de huit jours, à la demande de l'un ou de l'autre.
Article 71 : L'Assemblée Nationale établit son ordre du jour.
Toutefois, le Président de la République peut demander l'inscription, par priorité, à l'ordre du jour, d'un projet ou d'une proposition de loi ou d'une déclaration de politique générale. Cette inscription est de droit.
La durée d'examen des textes inscrits à l'ordre du jour par priorité ne peut excéder la moitié de la durée de la session ordinaire.
Article 72 : Les ministres peuvent être entendus à tout moment par l'Assemblée Nationale et par ses commissions.
Ils peuvent se faire assister par des collaborateurs de leur choix.
Article 73 : Les Députés peuvent poser aux ministres, qui sont tenus d'y répondre, des questions écrites et des questions orales avec ou sans débat. Les réponses données ne sont pas suivies de vote. Elles sont publiées au Journal Officiel.
Une séance par semaine est réservée au cours de chaque session extraordinaire, aux questions orales sans débat.
L'Assemblée Nationale peut désigner en son sein des commissions d'enquête. Le règlement de l'Assemblée détermine les pouvoirs de ces commissions.
Elles sont créées par la loi, qui en définit la composition, le fonctionnement et l'objet, et qui en précise les pouvoirs.
Article 74 : L'état de siège, comme l'état d'urgence, est décrété par le Président de la République, après avis du Président de l'Assemblée Nationale et du Président de la Cour Suprême. Ces avis sont publiés au Journal Officiel. Le Président de la République peut prendre, par ordonnance, toute mesure nécessaire à la défense de l'intégrité du territoire et au rétablissement ou au maintien de l'ordre public. L'Assemblée Nationale se réunit alors de plein droit, si elle n'est pas en session. Elle ne peut être dissoute.
Le décret proclamant l'état de siège ou l'état d'urgence cesse d'être en vigueur après douze jours, à moins que l'Assemblée Nationale, saisie par le Président de la République n'en autorise la prorogation pour un délai qu'elle fixe.
Les ordonnances prises en application de l'état de siège et de l'état d'urgence cessent d'être en vigeur à la fin de ceux-ci.
Article 75 : L'état de guerre est déclaré par le Président de la République après avoir été autorisé par l'Assemblée Nationale à la majorité des deux tiers de ses membres.
Article 76 : En cas de désaccord persistant entre le Président de la République et l'Assemblée Nationale sur des questions fondamentales, le Président de la République peut, après avoir consulté le Président de l'Assemblée Nationale, prononcer la dissolution de celle-ci.
La dissolution ne peut être prononcée avant la troisième année de la législature et, au cours d'un même mandat présidentiel, plus d'une fois.
De nouvelles élections ont lieu dans les soixante jours qui suivent la dissolution.
Si celles-ci renvoient à l'Assemblée Nationale une majorité de Députés favorables à la position adoptée par l'ancienne majorité sur la question qui a provoqué la dissolution, le Président de la République doit démissionner.
L'Assemblée Nationale se réunit de plein droit dans les dix jours qui suivent son élection.
Titre VI : Des Traites Et Accords Internationaux
Article 77 : Le Président de la République négocie les engagements internationaux.
Les traités de paix, les traités de commerce, les traités ou accords relatifs à l'organisation internationale, ceux qui engagent les finances de l'Etat, ceux qui modifient les dispositions de nature législative, ceux qui sont relatifs à l'état des personnes, ceux qui comporte cession, échange ou adjonction de territoire, ne peuvent être ratifiés ou approuvés que par une loi.
Nulle cession, nul échange, null adjonction de territoire ne peut avoir lieu sans le consentement des populations concernées.
Article 78 : Si la Cour Suprême, saisie par le Président de la République ou un Député a déclaré qu'un engagement international comporte une clause contraire à la Loi Fondamentale, l'autorisation de la ratifier ou de l'approuver ne peut intervenir qu'après la révision de la Loi Fondamentale.
Une loi autorisant la ratification ou l'approbation d'un engagement international ne peut être déclarée non conforme à la Loi Fondamentale.
Article 79 : Les traités ou accords régulièrement approuvés ou ratifiés ont dès leur publication une autorité supérieure à celle des lois sous réserve de réciprocité.
Titre VII : Du Pouvoir Judiciaire
Article 80 : Le pouvoir judiciaire est indépendent du pouvoir exécutif et du pouvoir législatif.
Il est exercé exclusivement par les Cours et les Tribunaux.
Article 81 : Les magistrats ne sont soumis dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions qu'à l'autorité de la loi. Les magistrats du siège sont inamovibles dans les conditions déterminées par la loi.
Les magistrats sont nommés par le Président de la République, ceux du siège après avis du Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature.
Le statut, la carrière, les garanties d'indépendance des magistrats sont fixés par une loi organique.
Article 82 : La composition, le fonctionnement et l'organisation du Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature sont fixés par une loi organique.
Lorsqu'il siège en formation disciplinaire, le Conseil Supérieur de la Magistrature est présidé par le Président de la Cour Suprême.
Article 83 : La Cour Suprême connaît de la constitutionalité des lois et des engagements internationaux, dans les conditions prévues aux articles 64, 67 et 78.
Elle connaît en premier et dernier ressort des recours formés contre les actes du Président de la République pris en application des articles 38, 60 et 74, ainsi que des recours formés contre les ordonnances prises en application de l'article 66, sous réserve de leur ratification.
Elle connaît en premier et en dernier ressort des recours formés contre les élections à l'Assemblée Nationale et aux assemblées locales.
Elle connaît des pourvois en cassation. Les autres compétences de la Cour Suprême, non prévues par la Loi Fondamentale et la procédure suivie devant elle sont déterminées par une loi organique.
Article 84 : La qualité de membre de la Cour Suprême est incompatible avec toute autre fonction publique ou privée, notamment élective.
Sauf le cas de flagrant délit, les magistrats de la Cour Suprême ne peuvent être poursuivis, arrêtés, détenus ou jugés en matière pénale qu'avec l'autorisation préalable de l'assemblée générale de la Cour Suprême. Celle-ci attribue compétence à la juridiction qu'elle détermine.
La composition de la Cour Suprême, le statut, les incompatibilités et les garanties d'indépendance de ses membres sont fixé par une loi organique.
Titre VIII : De La Haute Cour De Justice
Article 85 : La Haute Cour de Justice est composée de membres élus par l'Assemblée Nationale, en son sein, au début de chaque législature.
Elle est présidée par un magistrat élu par l'assemblée générale de la Cour Suprême.
Une loi organique fixe le nombre de membres et l'organisation de la Haute Cour de Justice, ainsi que les règles de son fonctionnement et la procédure suivie devant elle.
Article 86 : Le Président de la République n'est responsable des actes accomplis dans l'exercice de ses fonctions qu'en cas de haute trahison.
Il ne peut être mis en accusation que par l'Assemblée Nationale statuant par un vote au scrutin secret à la majorité des trois cinquièmes des membres la composant. Il est jugé par la Haute Cour de Justice. Celle-ci peut décider lorsque le Président de la République est mis en accusation, que le Président de l'Assemblée exerce sa suppléance jusqu'à ce qu'elle ait rendu son arrêt.
Les ministres sont pénalement responsables des actes accomplis dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions et qualifiés de crimes ou de délits au moment où ils ont été commis. La procédure définie ci-dessus leur est applicable.
La Haute Cour de Justice est liée par la définition des crimes et des délits ainsi que par la détermination des peines telles qu'elles résultent des lois en vigueur au moment où les faits ont été commis.
Titre IX : Du Conseil Economique Et Social
Article 87 : Le Conseil Economique et Social donne son avis sur les questions qui lui sont renvoyées par le Président de la République ou par l'Assemblée Nationale.
Il est compétent pour examiner les projets ou propositions de loi ainsi que les projets de décret à caractère économique et social qui lui sont soumis à l'exclusion des lois de finances.
Il est obligatoirement consulté sur les projets de lois de plan et de programme à caractère économique. Il peut, de sa propre initiative et sous forme de recommandation, attirer l'attention du Président de la République et de l'Assemblée Nationale sur les réformes d'ordre économique et social qui lui paraissent conformes ou contraires à l'intérêt général.
Sur la demande du Président de la République ou de l'Assemblée Nationale, il désigne un de ses membres pour exposer devant les commissions de l'Assemblée Nationale, l'avis du Conseil sur les projets ou les propositions de loi qui lui ont été soumis.
Une loi organique fixe la composition et le fonctionnement du Conseil Economique et Social.
Titre X : De La Revision De La Loi Fondamentale
Article 88 : Les collectivités territoriales de la République sont les Préfectures, les Communes urbaines et les Communautés rurales de développement. La création de collectivités territoriales, la réorganisation des collectivités territoriales existantes relèvent de la loi.
Article 89 : Les collectivités territoriales s'administrent librement par des conseils élus, sous le contrôle de l'Etat qui a la charge des intérêts nationaux et du respect des lois.
Article 90 : La loi organise la décentralisation par le transfert de compétences, de ressources et de moyens aux collectivités territoriales.
Titre XI : De La Revision De La Loi Fondamentale
Article 91 : L'initiative de la révision de la Loi Fondamentale appartient concurremment au Président de la République et aux Députés.
Le projet ou la proposition de révision adoptée par l'Assemblée Nationale ne devient définitif qu'après avoir été approuvé par référendum.
Toutefois le projet n'est pas présenté au référendum lorsque le Président de la République décide de le soumettre à la seule Assemblée Nationale. Dans ce cas le projet de révision est approuvé à la majorité des deux tiers des membres composant l'Assemblée Nationale. Il est de même de la proposition de révision qui aura recueilli l'approbation du Président de la République.
Aucune procédure de révision ne peut être entreprise ou poursuivie en cas de d'occupation d'une partie ou de la totalité du territoire national, en cas d'état d'urgence ou d'état de siège.
La forme républicaine de l'Etat, le principe de la laïcité et le principe de la séparation des pouvoirs ne peuvent faire l'objet d'une révision.
Titre XII : Des Dispositions Transitoires
Article 92 : Il sera procédé aux élections prévues aux articles 24 et 47 à l'issue d'une période transitoire qui n'excède pas cinq ans à compter de l'adoption de la présente Loi Fondamentale par le peuple de Guinée par voie de référendum.
Article 93 : En attendant l'entrée en vigueur de la présente Loi Fondamentale, le Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National remplace le Comité Militaire de Redressement National (CMRN) dans ses attributions.
A ce titre il est, notamment, investi du pouvoir législatif.
Une ordonnace détermine la composition, l'organisation, les règles de fonctionnement et les compétences du CTRN (Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National).
Article 94 : Les lois nécessaires à la mise en place des institutions et, jusqu'à cette mise en place, au fonctionnement des pouvoirs publics, sont adoptées par le Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National et promulguées par le Président de la République dans le délai fixé à l'article 92.
Pendant ce délai, le Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National peut également prendre en toute matière les mesures qu'il juge nécessaires à la vie de la Nation, la protection des citoyens ou à la sauvegarde des libertés.
Article 95 : Les dispositions de l'article 3 entreront en vigueur un an avant la date fixée, en application de l'article 92 pour les élections. Le nombre de partis politiques susceptibles d'être constitués est limité à deux jusqu'à l'intervention d'une loi organique modifiant ce nombre.
Les dispositions des articles 64, 67 alinéa 2, 78 et 83 entreront en vigueur à l'installation de la Cour Suprême. Celles relatives au Conseil Suprême de la Magistrature et au Conseil Economique et Social entreront en vigueur à l'installation de ces institutions. Ces installations interviendront aux dates fixées par le Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National et, en tout état de cause, avant la fin de la période transitoire.
Article 96 : Les autres dispositions de la présente Loi Fondamentale entreront en vigueur un an à compter de son adoption.
English version
By
its vote on Sept. 28, 1958, the People of Guinea opted for freedom and
established on October 2, 1958, a sovereign State: The Republic Of Guinea.
Drawing lessons from its past policy and the change intervened on April 3,
1984,
The People Of Guinea,
Proclaims:
* Equality and solidarity of all citizens regardless
of race, ethnicity, sex, origin, religion and opinion.
* Its commitment to the ideals and principles, rights
and duties established in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the Charter of the Organization of African Unity
and the African Charter for Human and Peoples' Rights.
Affirms solemnly its fundamental opposition to any regime based on
dictatorship, injustice, corruption, nepotism and regionalism.
Reaffirms:
* Its willingness to perform in unity and national
reconciliation, a State based on the rule of law and respect for the law
democratically established;
* Its willingness to establish relations of friendship
and cooperation with all peoples of the world on the basis of principles of
equality, respect for national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the
mutual interest;
* Its dedication to the cause of African Unity,
sub-regional integration of the continent.
* - Free to determine its institutions, the people of Guinea adopted this Fundamental Law.
Part One: The Sovereignty and the State
Article 1: Guinea is a unitary Republic, indivisible, secular,
democratic and social. It guarantees equality before the law for all citizens
irrespective of their origin, race, ethnicity, sex, religion and opinion. It
respects all beliefs.
The official language is French. The state promotes the cultures and languages
of the people of Guinea.
The flag consists of three equal vertical stripes of colors: RED, YELLOW And
GREEN.
The national anthem is "freedom". The motto of the Republic is
"Labor - Justice - Solidarity."
Its principle is: Government Of The People By The People And For The People.
Article 2: National sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it
through their elected representatives and through a referendum. No fraction of
the people, no individual can attribute to himself its exercise.
Suffrage is universal, direct, equal and secret.
Under the conditions laid down by law, voters are, all citizens of Guinea major of one or the other sex, enjoying their civil and political rights.
Article 3: Political parties contribute to the political education of
citizens and to the exercise of suffrage. Only they can present candidates in
national elections.
They must be located on the entire national territory.
They should not identify with one race, ethnicity, religion or territory.
They must also abide by the principles of national sovereignty and democracy,
territorial integrity and public order.
An organic law specifies the conditions under which political parties are being
formed and exercise their activities. It may also specify, for a given time,
the maximum number of parties that may be formed. It specifies the conditions
under which a party that ignore the provisions of the preceding paragraphs are
no longer considered legally constituted.
Article 4: The law punishes anyone who, by an act of racial, ethnic or
religious hatred or by an act of regionalist propaganda, poses a serious threat
to national unity, state security, and the integrity of the territory of the
Republic or the functioning of democratic institutions.
Part II: Freedoms, Duties and Human Rights
Article 5: The person and human dignity are sacred. The State has the
duty to respect and protect them.
The rights and freedoms listed below shall be inviolable and inalienable and
imprescriptible. They are basis for every human society, and guarantee peace
and justice throughout the world.
Article 6: The man has the right to free development of his personality.
He has the right to life and physical integrity. No one shall be subjected to
torture, cruel punishment, and inhumane or degrading treatment.
Article 7: He is free to think, to believe and profess his religious
beliefs, political or philosophical opinions.
He is free to express, to demonstrate, to disseminate his ideas and opinions
through speech, writing and image.
He is free to learn and get information from sources available to all.
Article 8: All human beings are equal before the law. Men and women have
equal rights. Nobody should be privileged or disadvantaged because of his
birth, race, ethnicity, language, beliefs and political opinions, religious or
philosophical.
Article 9: No one may be arrested, detained or convicted only on the
grounds and in the manner prescribed by law. All have the imprescriptible right
to apply to the court to assert their rights against the state and its
servants.
Everybody is entitled to a fair and impartial trial, in which the right of
defence is guaranteed.
The law establishes the penalties necessary and proportionate to the misconduct
that that can justify them.
Article 10: All citizens have the right to demonstrate and parade.
All citizens have the right to form associations and societies to exercise
their collective rights and their political, economic, social or cultural
rights.
All citizens have the right to establish and operate on the territory of the
Republic, to enter and leave freely.
Article 11: Anyone who is persecuted because of his political views,
philosophical or religious beliefs, race, ethnicity, its intellectual,
scientific and cultural activities for the defence of freedom has asylum on the
territory of the Republic.
Article 12: The home is inviolable. It can be violated only in the event
of grave and imminent peril, to avert a common danger or to protect people's
lives. Any other attack, any search can be ordered by the judge or by the
authority that the law designate in the manner prescribed by it.
The secrecy of correspondence and communications is inviolable. Everyone has
the right to protect his privacy.
Article 13: The right of ownership is guaranteed. Nobody can be
expropriated if it is not in the general interest legally recognized, and
subject to a fair and prior compensation.
Article 14: The freedom of worship is guaranteed. The religious
institutions and communities are formed and are freely administered.
They are not subject to supervision by the State.
Article 15: Individual has the right to health and physical well-being.
The State has a duty to promote, and to combat epidemics and social evils.
Article 16: Marriage and the family, which are the natural foundation of
life in society are protected and promoted by the state.
Parents have the right and duty to ensure education and the physical and moral
health of their children. Children need care and assistance to their parents.
Article 17: Youth must be especially protected against exploitation and
neglect.
The elderly and disabled receive assistance and the protection of society.
Article 18: The right to work is recognized to all. The state created
the necessary conditions for the exercise of this right.
Nobody could be discriminated against in his work because of his sex, race,
ethnicity or his opinions.
Everyone has the right to join the trade union of his choice, and defend its
rights through trade union action. Every worker has the right to participate
through its delegates to the determination of working conditions.
The right to strike is recognized. It is exercised within the framework of the
laws that govern it. It can in no way detract from the freedom of work.
The law sets out the conditions for assistance and protection to which workers
are entitled.
Article 19: People of Guinea freely and sovereignty determines its
institutions and the economic and social organization of the nation.
It has an inalienable right over its wealth. Every Guinean should fairly benefit
form it.
It has the right to the preservation of its heritage, its culture and its
environment.
It has the right to resist oppression.
Article 20: Every citizen has a duty to abide by the Fundamental Law,
laws and regulations.
Every citizen has a duty to participate in elections, to promote tolerance, the
values of democracy, to be loyal to the nation.
Every citizen has the duty to respect and honour the views of others.
Every citizen must contribute, to the best of its ability to tax and must
fulfil its social obligations under the conditions determined by the law.
Every citizen has the sacred duty of defending the motherland.
Article 21: The State shall promote the welfare of citizens.
It ensures pluralism of opinions and sources of information.
It ensures the security of everyone, and the maintenance of public order.
It ensures the continuity of institutions and public services, in accordance
with the Fundamental Law.
It guarantees equal access to public sector jobs.
It promotes the unity of the nation and Africa. It cooperates with other states
to consolidate their independence, peace, mutual respect and friendship between
peoples.
It provides education for youth, which is mandatory. It creates the conditions
and institutions allowing everyone to be trained. It guarantees freedom of
education, and control private schools.
Article 22: The law guarantees all the enjoyment of fundamental rights
and freedoms. It determines the conditions under which they operate.
It can set limits to these freedoms and rights as those that are essential to
the maintenance of public order and democracy.
The groups whose purpose or activity is contrary to the law or disrupting
public order obviously can be dissolved.
Article 23: Whoever occupies a public office or performing a public
function is accountable for its activities, and must respect the principle of
neutrality of the public service. He must not use his office for any purpose
other than the benefit of all.
Part III: The President of the Republic
Article 24: The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal
suffrage.
The term of office is seven years, renewable.
Article 25: The ballot for the election of the President of the Republic
has held forty-five days at most and at least thirty days before the date of
expiry of the mandate of the President of the Republic in office.
If there is reason to proceed to a second ballot, it is programmed the
fourteenth day after the first round.
The President indicates the polling day at least sixty days in advance of that
day.
Article 26: Every candidate for the Presidency of the Republic must be
of Guinean nationality, enjoy his civil and political rights and have the ages
of forty years at least and seventy years at most.
Applications are filed at the Registry of the Supreme Court at least forty days
and not more than sixty days prior to Election Day. No application is
admissible if it is not made by a legally constituted political party. Each
party may submit only one application.
Thirty-nine days before the election, the Supreme Court shall adopt and publish
the list of candidates. Voters are then summoned by Decree.
Article 27: In the event of death or permanent incapacity established by
the Supreme Court a candidate on the list provided for in Article 26, the
Supreme Court decides whether to reopen the periods during which new
applications can be filed. In this case a new polling date is fixed under the
conditions provided for in Article 20.
Article 28: The election campaign opened thirty days before the polling
day and close on the eve at 0 hour. In the event of a second round, the
election campaign opened on the day after the announcement of the results of
the first round and closed on the eve of the second round at 0 hour.
The Supreme Court shall ensure the regularity of the election campaign, the
equality between candidates for the use of means of propaganda, as determined
by an organic law.
Article 29: Is elected, the candidate who obtains an absolute majority
of votes cast.
In the event, following the first round, no candidate would obtain that
majority; there shall be a second ballot in accordance with the provisions of
article 25. Only the two candidates (or else, after the withdrawal of most
disadvantaged candidates) who obtained the highest number of votes in the first
round.
The Supreme Court shall ensure the regularity of the poll.
Article 30: If no dispute regarding the regularity of elections has been
filed by one of the candidates in the Registry of the Supreme Court within
eight days following the day on which the first comprehensive aggregation of
results was published, Supreme Court proclaims elected the President of the
Republic.
In case of dispute, the court rules within three days from the day of submission
of complain. Its decision carries proclamation or cancellation of the election.
In case of cancellation of the election, new election is held within sixty
days.
Article 31: The elected President of the Republic takes office on the
day the term of office of his predecessor ends.
In the event that, following the annulment of an election, none of the
candidates had been declared elected on that date, the ruling President shall
remain in office until the announcement of the results.
In the event of death or permanent inability of the President elected before he
took office, there shall be new elections within sixty days. The ruling
President shall remain in office until the results are announced.
Notwithstanding Article 34, in the event of death or permanent inability of the
President in office before the inauguration of the President-elected, he will
enter immediately in Office.
The President of the Republic is installed in office after being sworn in
before the Supreme Court. By this oath, he undertakes to comply strictly,
enforce the provisions of the Fundamental Law and laws, to defend the
constitutional institutions, territorial integrity and national independence.
Article 32: The President of the Republic is being protected from
offences, insults and slander in accordance with the conditions determined by
the law.
Article 33: The duty of President of the Republic is incompatible with
the exercise of any other public or private, even elective functions. He must,
among other things, cease to exercise any responsibility within a political
party.
Article 34: In the event of a vacancy of the office of President of the
Republic following the death or resignation of the President, or any other
cause of an impediment, the interim presidency is exercised by the President of
the National Assembly (Speaker of the National Assembly) or, If prevented from
above, by one of the vice-presidents of the National Assembly in order of
precedence.
The vacancy is pronounced by the Supreme Court on the request of the Speaker of
the National Assembly or, in his absence thereof, by one of its vice-chairmen.
The maximum duration of substitution is sixty days. The ballot for the election
of the President of the Republic shall take place except in cases of force
majeure recognized by the Supreme Court, at least thirty-five days and at
most fifty days after the opening of the vacancy.
Article 35: Substitution to the President extends to all functions of
the latter, except the right to resort to a referendum to decide the
dissolution of the National Assembly, to initiate a revision of the Fundamental
Law, to exercise the prerogative of mercy.
Article 36: Former Presidents of the Republic shall take precedence
protocol immediately after the President of the Republic, in the order of
seniority of their mandates, before the President of the National Assembly.
They sit by right in Economic and Social Council.
They enjoy of material benefits and protection under the conditions that
determine an organic law.
Article 37: The President of the Republic ensures compliance with the
Fundamenral Law. It ensures the proper functioning of public authorities and
the continuity of the State. It determines and conducts the policy of the
nation.
Article 38: The President of the Republic shall execute the laws and has
the regulatory power that he exercises by decree.
Article 39: The President appoints ministers, who assist him and who are
answerable only to him. It can sack them.
He
determines by decree the responsibilities of each minister. He can delegate
part of his prerogative to him.
Article 40: The President appoints to all civilian jobs. He directs the
Administration.
Article 41: The President of the Republic is the guarantor of national
independence and territorial integrity.
He is responsible for national defence. He presides over the High Council of
National Defence.
He is the head of the army. He appoints to all military posts.
Article 42: The President of the Republic accredits ambassadors
and extraordinary envoys to foreign powers.
The ambassadors and extraordinary envoys are accredited to him.
Article 43: The President of the Republic exercises the right of
pardon.
Article 44: The President of Republic can address messages to the
nation.
It does not participate in the debates of the National Assembly.
When it addresses to the National Assembly, the message is read by a minister.
Article 45: The President may, after consultation with the
Speaker of the National Assembly, submit to referendum any bill on the
organization of government, concerning fundamental rights and freedoms and
economic and social activities of State, or to authorize the ratification of a
treaty.
It must, if the National Assembly called for a resolution adopted by a
two-thirds majority of members, submit to a referendum any bill on the
organization of government or about fundamental rights and freedoms.
Before convening the electorate by decree, the President shall obtain the
opinion of the Supreme Court on the conformity of the bill to the Fundamental
Law. In the event of non-conformity, he cannot proceed to the referendum.
The Supreme Court shall ensure the regularity of operations of the referendum.
When the referendum concluded that the adoption of the draft, it is promulgated
by in the conditions laid down in article 62.
Part IV: The National Assembly
Article 46 : The Representative Assembly of the People of Guinea
bears the name of National Assembly. Its members carry the title of ‘Députés’
to the National Assembly.
Article 47: The Members of the National Assembly are elected by direct
universal suffrage.
Their term of office is five years, except in the case of dissolution. It may
be renewed.
Article 48: Nobody can be a candidate if it is not submitted by a
legally constituted political party.
The eligibility requirements, the regime of ineligibilities and
incompatibilities are determined by an organic law.
Article 49: The Supreme Court shall ensure the regularity of elections
and the campaign leading up to it. It receives and judges for any disagreement.
Article 50: One third of MPs is elected in single-seat
majority in a single round. An organic law sets the electoral districts.
The two-thirds of the MPs are elected through a national list, with
proportional representation. Non-ascribed Seats in national quotient are
distributed at the highest rest.
Article 51: An organic law sets the number of MPs and the amount of
their compensation.
It also determines the conditions under which people that are elected to replace,
in the event of a vacancy, the MPs until the renewal of the General Assembly.
Article 52: No member of the National Assembly can be prosecuted,
searched, arrested, detained or tried on the because of opinions or votes cast
by him in the exercise of his duties as Deputy.
No MP can, during the sessions, be prosecuted or arrested, in criminal matters,
unless authorized by the Assembly National, except in case of flagrant offence.
No MP can, after session, be arrested or detained without the permission of the
Bureau of the National Assembly, except in cases of flagrant offence,
authorized by the Assembly or final judgement.
Preventive detention or prosecution of an MP will be suspended if the Assembly
requests.
Article 53: The President of the National Assembly shall be elected for
the duration of the legislature.
Article 54: The resolution of the National Assembly is established by
an organic law which determines:
* The composition and functioning of the office of the
Assembly;
* The number, method of appointment, the composition
and jurisdiction of standing committees;
* Modalities for the establishment of temporary
special commissions;
* The organization of administrative services under
the authority of the President of the Assembly;
* The rules of conduct of proceedings, taking of
floor, vote and disciplinary regime of MPs;
* In general all rules relating to the operation of
the National Assembly are under the powers attributed to it by the Fundamental
Law.
Article 55 : The National Assembly meets in regular session twice a
year.
The first session begins on April 5, the duration may not exceed thirty days.
The second session begins on October 5, the duration shall not exceed sixty
days.
If April 5 or Oct. 5 is a public holiday the opening of the session will be
held on the first working day following.
The annual budget is considered during the second regular session of the
previous year.
Article 56: The National Assembly is meeting in special session at the
initiative of President of the Republic or at the request of a majority of
members, on an determined agenda.
Extraordinary The session is closed as soon as the National Assembly exhausts
the agenda for which it was convened. The duration of the session may not
exceed fifteen days.
The MPs can apply for a new special session before the end of the month
following the close of the session.
Except in cases where the National Assembly meets ipso facto, the
sessions are opened and closed by decree.
Article 57: All imperative mandate is null and void.
The right to vote of MPs is personal. The organic law may allow, in exceptional
cases, the delegation to vote. In this case, no one can be delegated to more
than one principal.
Article 58: Sessions of the National Assembly are public. However, a
majority vote of members, may decide that the Assembly meets in private.
The full account of the discussion is published in the Official Gazette.
Part V: The Relationship Between The President Of The Republic And The
National Assembly
Article 59: Subject to the provisions of Article 45, the National
Assembly adopts the law alone.
The law cannot provide but for the future.
The law establishes rules concerning:
* Guarantees of fundamental freedoms and rights, the
conditions under which they are enjoyed and limitations that may be brought to
them;
* Civil rights, nationality, status, the ability of
persons, matrimonial property, inheritance and gifts;
* The constraints imposed for national defence in the
citizens themselves and their property;
* Determination of offences, the penalties applicable
to them, criminal procedure, amnesty, the creation and composition of the court
orders and the Statute of judges;
* The base, the rate and modalities of collection and
control of taxes of all kinds, and mandatory contributions;
* Electoral regulations of the National Assembly in
everything that is not specified by the Fundamental Law, the electoral system
of elected councils of local governments;
* The fundamental guarantees granted to civilian and
military officials of the State;
* The regime to issue national currency;
* The creation of the categories of public
institutions;
* Expropriation, nationalization or privatization of
enterprises
The law determines the fundamental principles:
* General organization of national defence and the
maintenance of public order;
* The free administration of local governments, their
jurisdictions and resources;
* Of education;
* Regime of property, real property rights and civil
and commercial obligations;
* Labour law, the right to organize and Social
Welfare;
* Cultural development and the protection of heritage
and the environment.
The laws of Finance determine annually the total resources and expense of the
state, in the manner and with the reservations provided by an organic law.
Laws of planning set the multiannual guidelines for development of the nation
and the commitment of the State.
Laws of programme determine by sectors the objectives of economic and social
activities of the State.
Article 60: Matters other than those in the field of law have a
regulatory nature.
When provisions of a statute intervene in these other subjects, they can be
changed by decree after the Supreme Court had found regulatory nature.
Article 61: The National Assembly vote the annual budget under the
conditions laid down by an organic law.
The draft budget is deposited on the desk of the National Assembly no later
than the day before the opening of the second regular session
The National Assembly has sixty days in which to vote the draft. If for reasons
of fortuitous events, the President of the Republic has been able to file in
the draft in a timely manner, the regular session is immediately followed by
right of a special session whose length is not greater than the time needed to
cover the period between the date of filing the bill in sixtieth day following.
If at the expiry of the deadline, the bill was not passed, it may be
implemented by decree, taking into account the amendments passed by the
National Assembly and accepted by the President of the Republic.
If, in view of the process required above, the Finance Act of the year could
not be put into effect before the beginning of the year, the President of the
Republic urges the National Assembly to give authorization to collect taxes. It
is pronounced within two days. The President of the Republic is authorized to
extend by decree the operating budget of the previous year.
The Supreme Court ensures the monitoring of the implementation of the finance
laws. It reported to the National Assembly.
Article 62: After its adoption by the National Assembly, the law is
passed without delay to the President of the Republic.
The President of the Republic enacts the law within ten days. The period runs
eight days after the transmission of the law adopted.
Article 63: Within a period of ten days set for the promulgation, the
President may, by message, request to the National Assembly a new debate that
cannot be denied.
The deadline for enactment is then suspended.
The law can be passed on second reading only if two-thirds of the members of
the National Assembly are in favour of its adoption. Its inclusion on the
agenda is a priority if the majority of the members of the National Assembly so
requests.
Article 64 : Within eight days after the enactment of a law, the
President of the Republic or at least one-tenth of MPs may refer that law to
the Supreme Court seeking a monitor of compliance of the law with the
Fundamental Law.
The deadline for enactment is then suspended.
The Supreme Court sits within thirty days from the day of that referral or, if
the President of the Republic so requests, within eight days. The judgement of
the Supreme Court is published in the Official Gazette.
A provision of a law found not conformed to the Fundamental Law cannot be
enacted or enforced. The Supreme Court's judgement binds everyone.
The deadline for enactment run from the issuance of the Supreme Court's
judgement, which declare that the law is conformed to the Fundamental Law.
Article 65: Failure to promulgate the law by the
President of the Republic by the deadline; the law comes into force.
Article 66: The National Assembly may by law empower the President of
the Republic to take measures which are normally the domain of the law, for a
given period and objects it determines.
Within the limits of time and competence set in the enabling law, the President
of the Republic gives orders that come into effect upon publication, but will
lapse if a bill for ratification is not filed before the National Assembly
before the date set by the enabling law.
After
that date, they can only be changed by law. They, however, retain their
regulatory value until ratification.
They may be amended during voting of the ratification of the bill.
Article 67: The laws described as organic law by this Fundamental Law
is passed and amended by a two-thirds majority of the members of the National
Assembly.
They may not be enacted if the Supreme Court to which it must be necessarily
submitted by the President of the Republic, has not declared it conformed with
the Fundamental Law.
The National Assembly cannot empower the President of the Republic to take by
order measures that fall under the organic law.
Article 68: The initiative of the laws belongs currently
to the President of the Republic and MPs.
Article 69: The President and Members of the National Assembly have the
right of amendment. The amendments of the President of the Republic shall be
submitted by a minister.
The proposed amendment made by Members of Parliament are not receivable if they
do not fall within the scope of the law, or if they fall within the powers
delegated to the President of the Republic pursuant to article 66 during the
period of this delegation.
They are not admissible if adoption would result in a reduction of public
resources, or the creation or aggravation of public expenditure unless revenues
are provided in compensation.
Article 70: In case of disagreement between the National Assembly and the President of the Republic, represented by a minister, on the admissibility of an amendment, the Supreme Court decides in eight days, at the request of one or another.
Article 71: The National Assembly sets its agenda.
However, the President may request registration as a priority in the agenda, a
bill or a policy statement. This listing is by right.
The period of review texts inscribed on the agenda as a priority may not exceed
half the duration of the regular session.
Article 72: The ministers can be heard at any time by the National
Assembly and its commissions. They may be assisted by employees of their
choice.
Article 73: The deputies may pose to the ministers, who are required to
answer, questions written and oral questions with or without debate. The
answers given are not followed by a vote. They are published in the Official
Gazette.
One meeting per week is set-aside during each session, to oral questions
without debate.
The National Assembly may appoint from among its members of commissions of
inquiry. The resolution of the Assembly determines the powers of these
commissions.
They are created by law, which defines the composition, function and purpose,
and which specifies the powers.
Article 74: The state of siege, as the state of emergency is declared by
the President after consulting the President of the National Assembly and the
President of the Supreme Court. These opinions are published in the Official
Gazette. The President may take, by order, any measures necessary to defend the
territorial integrity and the restoration or maintenance of public order. The
National Assembly meets then ipso facto, if it is not in session. It may not be
dissolved.
The decree declaring a state of siege or state of emergency ceases to be in
force after twelve days, unless the National Assembly, requested by the
President authorizes the extension for a period that it determines.
Orders taken in the implementation of a state of siege and of the state of
emergency cease to be in force at the end thereof.
Article 75: A state of war is declared by the President of the Republic
after being cleared by the National Assembly by a majority of two thirds of its
members.
Article 76: In case of disagreement between the President and the
National Assembly on key issues, the President may, after consultation with the
Chairman of the National Assembly, pronounce the dissolution thereof.
The dissolution cannot be imposed until the third year of the legislature and,
during the same presidential mandate, more than once.
New elections are held within sixty days of the dissolution.
If they refer to the National Assembly a majority of MPs supported the position
taken by the former majority on the issue, which led to the dissolution, the
President should resign.
The National Assembly shall meet as of right within ten days after his
election.
Part VI: Drafts and International Agreements
Article 77 : The President negotiates international commitments.
Peace treaties, commercial treaties, treaties or agreements relating to the
international organization, those who commit the finances of the State, to
amend the provisions of a legislative nature, those relating to status of
person, includes those who transfer, exchange or addition of territory, can not
be ratified or approved but by statute.
No surrender, no exchange, no addition of territory cannot take place without
the consent of the people concerned.
Article 78: If the Supreme Court, requested by the President of the
Republic or an MP, says that international commitment includes a clause
contrary to the Fundamental Law, permission to ratify it or to approve it can
only be given after the review of the Fundamental Law.
A law authorizing the ratification or approval of an international commitment
can be found not to conform to the Fundamental Law.
Article 79: The treaties or agreements regularly approved or ratified as
they are issued have a higher authority than that of the laws subject to
reciprocity.
Part VII: The Judiciary
Article 80: The judiciary is independent from the executive and
legislative power.
It is exercised exclusively by the Courts.
Article 81: Judges are not subject, during the exercise of their
functions, but to the authority of the law. Judges have security of tenure
under the conditions set by law.
Judges are appointed by the President of the Republic, for the sitting judges,
after consultation with the Superior Council of Judges.
The status, career, the guarantees of independence of the judiciary shall be
determined by an organic law.
Article 82: The composition, functioning and organization of the
Superior Council of Judges are set by an organic law.
When sitting in disciplinary session, the Superior Council of Judges is chaired
by the President of the Supreme Court.
Article 83: The Supreme Court hears the constitutionality of laws and
international commitments under the conditions provided for in Articles 64, 67
and 78.
It sits for first and last resort over appeals against acts of the President of
the Republic filed under sections 38, 60 and 74, as well as appeals against
orders made under article 66, subject to their ratification.
It sits for first and last appeals against the elections to the National
Assembly and local assemblies.
It hears appeals in cassation. Other powers of the Supreme Court not provided
for by the Fundamental Law and the procedure before it is determined by an
organic law.
Article 84: Membership of the Supreme Court is incompatible with any
other public or private office, including elective one.
Except in the case of flagrant offence, judges of the Supreme Court cannot be
prosecuted, arrested, detained or tried in criminal matters only with the prior
permission of the General Assembly of the Supreme Court. It determines the
jurisdiction of court designates.
The composition of the Supreme Court, the status, inconsistencies and
guarantees of independence of its members are determined by an organic law.
Part VIII: The High Court of Justice
Article 85: The High Court of Justice is composed of
members elected by the National Assembly from among its members at the
beginning of each parliamentary term.
It is presided over by a judge elected by the general assembly of the Supreme
Court.
An organic law specifies the number of members and the organization of the High
Court of Justice, and the rules governing its operations and the proceedings
before it.
Article 86: The President of the Republic shall not be liable for acts
performed in the exercise of his duties but in cases of high treason.
He cannot be indicted but by the National Assembly ruling by a secret ballot by
a majority of three-fifths of the members composing it. He is judged by the
High Court of Justice. It can decide when the President is being accused, that
the President of Speaker of the National Assembly exercises his temporary
replacement until it had delivered its judgement.
The ministers are criminally liable for acts performed in the exercise of their
functions and characterized as crimes or misdemeanor during the time they were
committed. The procedure defined above is applicable to them.
The High Court of Justice is bound by the definition of crimes and offences as
well as the punishment provided for such as a result of the laws in force at
the time the acts were committed.
Part IX: The Economic and Social Council
Article 87: The Economic and Social Council gives its opinion on matters
referred to it by the President of the Republic or by the National Assembly.
It is competent to deal with bills and the draft decree of economic and social
nature, which are submitted to it to the exclusion of the finance laws.
It has to be necessarily consulted on proposed legislation of plan and program
of economic nature. It may, on its own initiative and in the form of a
recommendation, draw the attention of the President of the Republic and the
National Assembly on the reform of economic and social order, as it deems
consistent with or contrary to the public interest.
At the request of the President or the National Assembly, it shall designate
one of its members to explain to the committees of the National Assembly, the
Council's opinion on the projects or legislative proposals that have been submitted.
An organic law sets the composition and functioning of the Economic and Social
Council.
Part X: The Review Of The Fundamental Law
Article 88: The local authorities of the Republic are the prefectures,
urban municipalities and Community of Rural Development. The creation and the
reorganisation of local authorities are under the existing law.
Article 89: The local governments are freely elected by councils under
the control of the State, which has the burden of national interests and law
enforcement.
Article 90: The law organizes the decentralization through the transfer
of capacity, resources and local authorities.
Part XI: The Review of the Fundamental Law
Article 91: The initiative of revision of the Fundamental Law belongs
currently to the President of the Republic and Members of Parliament.
The project or the proposed revision adopted by the National Assembly shall not
become final until they have been approved by referendum.
However, the draft is not submitted to a referendum when the President of the
Republic decides to submit it to the National Assembly only. In this case the
proposed revision is approved by a two-thirds majority of the members of the
National Assembly. It is also of the proposed revision from the National Assembly,
which has gathered the approval of the President of the Republic.
No procedure of amendment can be undertaken or can continue in the case of
occupation of part or all of the national territory, a State of emergency or a
State of siege.
The republican form of government, the principle of secularism and the
principle of separation of powers cannot be subject to revision.
Part XII: Transitional Provisions
Article 92: There will be the elections scheduled at articles 24 and 47
at the end of a transitional period not exceeding five years from the adoption
of this Fundamental Law by the people of Guinea through a referendum.
Article 93: Pending the entry into force of the Fundamental Law, the
Transitional National Recovery replaces the Military Committee for National
Recovery (CMRN) within its remit.
As such it is, in particular, invested in the legislative power.
An ordinance determines the composition, organization, operating rules and
competence of CTRN.
Article 94: The legislation necessary for the establishment of the
institutions and, until that establishment, operation of government, are
adopted by the Transitional National Recovery and promulgated by the President
of the Republic within the time specified in article 92.
During this period, the Transitional National Recovery Council can also take on
any subject whatever action it deemed necessary in the life of the nation, the
protection of citizens or for the protection of freedoms.
Article 95: The provisions of article 3 shall enter into force one year
before its due date, in accordance with article 92 for the elections. The
number of political parties likely to be formed is limited to two until the
intervention of an organic law amending that number.
The provisions of articles 64, 67, paragraph 2, 78 and 83 will enter into force
for the installation of the Supreme Court. Those relating to the Superior
Council of Judges and the Economic and Social Council will come into force with
the installation of these institutions. These facilities will occur on dates
set by the National Transitional Recovery Council and, in any case, before the
end of the transitional period.
Article 96: Other provisions of this Fundamental Law will come into
force one year after its adoption.
II: Electoral Code
French Version
Le Conseil Transitoire de Redressement National, après en avoir délibéré, a adopté ;
Le Président de la République promulgue la Loi dont la teneur suit
Titre 1 : Des Dispositions Communes A Toutes Les Consultations Electorales
Chapitre 1 : Des Dispositions Generales
Article L 1 Le suffrage est universel, direct, égal et secret.
Article L 2 Le Ministre chargé de l'Intérieur est l'autorité administrative qui organise les élections.
Les Cours et tribunaux veillent à la régularité des élections et règlent le contentieux électoral dans les conditions définies par la présente loi.
Conformément à la Loi Fondamentale, la Cour Suprême veille à la régularité des élections présidentielles et législatives.
Le Ministre chargé de l'intérieur est tenu d'informer la Cour Suprême des différents actes et opérations se rapportant auxdites élections.
La Cour Suprême peut, à tout moment, prescrire toutes mesures qu'elle juge utiles à la régularité et au bon déroulement des élections.
Chapitre 2 : des conditions requises pour etre electeur
Article L 3 Sont électeurs, tous les guinéens âgés de 18 ans révolus le jour du scrutin, jouissant de leurs droits civils et politiques, nonobstant les dispositions de l'article 443 du Code Civil, et n'étant dans aucun cas d'incapacité prévu par la législation en vigueur.
Article L 4 Les conditions d'électorat des étrangers naturalisés sont fixées par l'article 89, alinéa 2 du code civil.
Les femmes ayant acquis la nationalité guinéenne par le mariage dans les conditions fixées par l'article 49 du code Civil sont électrices, conformément aux dispositions visées à l'article 53 du Code Civil.
Sont également électeurs, les étrangers bénéficiant du droit de vote en application des accords de réciprocité.
Article L 5 Nul ne p