Legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau are taking place as citizens look for stability more than a year after President Umaro Sissoco Embalo disbanded the legislature amid allegations of corruption.
Thirty voters were up early to line up under the shade of trees in the Bairro Militar neighbourhood of Bissau’s capital city when the elections opened at seven in the morning.
With around 884,000 individuals registered to vote, 22 parties are vying for 102 seats. Results should be available in 48 hours.
The majority of seats in the national assembly are split among three major parties, including Embalo’s Madem G15 party. The long-reigning African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) are the other two parties.
Under the current political system, the majority party or coalition appoints the government but the president can dismiss it in certain circumstances. That has led to political deadlock and infighting in the past.
Embalo dissolved the national assembly in May last year after falling out with lawmakers months after thwarting a coup attempt.
The president said he had “persistent differences that could not be resolved” with parliament, which he said had become rife with “guerrilla politics and conspiracy”.
He accused lawmakers of having protected MPs accused in corruption cases and refusing to be audited.
Embalo, a former army general, has long sought to change the constitution, which the international community cites as an important factor behind the country’s instability.
While the changes he intends to make are not clear, critics accuse him of seeking to consolidate power following the disputed 2019 presidential election.
The president has the authority to dissolve the government under the existing political system, but only in specified situations. The majority party or coalition appoints the government. This has previously resulted in political impasse and squabbling.
In May of last year, Embalo dissolved the national legislature after having a disagreement with MPs months after foiling a coup attempt.
The president claimed to have “persistent differences that could not be resolved” with the parliament, which he claimed had become infected with “guerrilla politics and conspiracy”.
In addition to refusing to be audited, he charged that parliamentarians had defended MPs who were facing corruption charges.
The former army general Embalo has long advocated amending the constitution, which the outside world views as a major contributor to the nation’s unrest.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony of approximately two million people, is notoriously unstable, having suffered four military coups since 1974, most recently in 2012.
The latest coup attempt was in February last year when gunmen stormed a government compound where Embalo was holding a cabinet meeting. Embalo, who held on to power, linked the incident to the country’s booming drug trade.
The country’s scattered Atlantic islands and mangrove mazes are a draw for tourists but also cocaine traffickers en route from South America to Europe.
Given the fragmented playing field, analysts and politicians doubt that a clear majority will emerge.
“There will be no winner with an absolute majority in these elections. It is impossible,” Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam, leader of the Assembly of the People United–Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau, said. “No party is ready to govern Guinea-Bissau alone.”
