Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of Guinea-Bissau, has declared his candidacy for re-election in elections postponed to November. His announcement follows opposition claims regarding his term’s expiration, which have led to protests. Political instability continues to afflict the country as he navigates the aftermath of a dissolved parliament and a postponed electoral timeline.
Umaro Sissoco Embalo, the President of Guinea-Bissau, announced on Monday his intention to run for re-election in November, following a postponement of the elections due to logistical and financial issues. “I will be a candidate, without a doubt, and I am going to win right from the first round,” Embalo stated to an AFP correspondent upon returning from a state visit to Russia.
Embalo, who took office for a five-year term on February 27, 2020, amidst a contentious election, is facing assertions from opposition groups that his term expired last Thursday. These claims incited protests organized by opposition members, though the impact was curtailed by the presence of security forces in Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony with a population of approximately two million, has a long history of political turmoil, characterized by numerous coups since gaining independence in 1974. In December 2023, Embalo responded to armed confrontations, which he characterized as a coup attempt, by dissolving the parliament controlled by the opposition.
Initially intending to hold early legislative elections in November 2024, Embalo subsequently postponed them indefinitely through a presidential decree. The new schedule for the elections is set for November 30, 2024.
In summary, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo’s announcement of his candidacy for re-election amidst a politically volatile landscape highlights ongoing instability in Guinea-Bissau. With claims of an expired term and postponements of elections, the political situation remains precarious. The upcoming elections scheduled for November 30 could be pivotal for the nation’s future leadership and governance.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
