The electoral commission of Guinea has suspended a controversial referendum for a second time, after claiming it was awaiting a report from the West African body Ecowas.

Voters hoping to elect members of parliament this coming Sunday will have to endure the second the delay as they wait for a new date.

President Alpha Condé initially delayed it last month saying there would be a "slight postponement" because of concerns about the fairness of the process.

Last week, the electoral commission sent a delegation to investigate the electoral process, in particular the electoral roll, reports the BBC.

In February, the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), a grouping of French-speaking nations, said there were problems identifying around 2.5 million names listed on the electoral roll.

There have been months of often violent demonstrations against the referendum.

One major issue is the provision for the 82-year-old president to seek a third term in office.

According to the BBC, the proposed constitution does not scrap term limits - a president would still only be able to serve two terms, though the length of a term would be extended from five to six years.

Although Mr Condé has not declared intentions to run again, his party, on the other hand, has not denied that the new constitution would allow him to do so.

BBC