Nearly 884,000 voters are called to the polls in Guinea-Bissau to elect 102 deputies, one year after the parliamentary dissolution decided by President Emballo. Participation and political stability are the stakes of the election.
With our special correspondent in Bissau, Bineta Diagne
For this election, 22 parties, including two coalitions are in the running and will compete for 102 seats. The Madem, the president’s party, wants to adopt a revision of the Constitution, to move from a parliamentary system to a presidential system. But for that, he will need an absolute majority of at least two-thirds of Parliament. Negotiations for alliance games should therefore begin as soon as the results are announced.
For its part, the PAIGC, a historic party which has long dominated political life, is trying to regain ground. Headed by Domingo Simoes Pereira, who is aiming for the post of Prime Minister. The PAIGC will also have to rely on agreements with other parties.
As for the PRS, the formation of ex-president Kumba Yala, it ” could well act as a pivotal party », notes an observer. In March 2019, this party was the third political force in the Assembly, with 21 seats. Final preparations
Polling stations open at 7 a.m. Voting closes at 5 p.m. local time.
Solve crises
The renewal of Parliament comes in a context of recurring crises. Although the last coup dates back to 2012, it should be noted that instability at the head of state remains chronic: institutional crisis in August 2015, crisis again last year during the attempted coup , then dissolution of Parliament a few months later by President Umaro Cissoco Emballo due to “ persistent and irreconcilable differences “. The whole issue of this election is therefore to restore stability within the institutions.
This vote is important because Guinea-Bissau is governed by a semi-parliamentary system: the party or coalition that wins this election not only has weight in the Assembly, but also in the government.
200 citizens monitoring the electoral process
The election campaign ended last night in a festive atmosphere.
The National Elections Commission affirms that everything is ready for tomorrow’s election: the electoral material has been sent to some 3,000 polling stations spread throughout the territory. Faced with the press and political parties, the CNE insisted on the procedure: this body is the only body authorized to count and display the results. It asks political parties to respect this rule. And calls on voters to vote correctly in order to avoid having a large number of blank or invalid votes.
At the same time, nearly 200 people from civil society monitor the entire electoral process.
” These people are there to see if the person is inciting violence, inciting regional voting or inciting tribal voting, explains Sidi Mohamed Jaquité, vice-president of civil society. To avoid a conflict, we raise awareness in the neighborhoods to talk to people to make them understand that, that I belong to one party and you belong to another, does not make us enemies. Everyone has the right to vote for the party they want. »
Several international organizations will also observe this election: the CPLP, the African Union, ECOWAS, the United States or even La Francophonie.