Guinea-Bissau’s President Embalo Announces Re-Election Bid Amid Political Turmoil

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau announced his candidacy for re-election, with elections postponed to November due to logistical issues. He faces opposition claims that his term expired last week, leading to protests. The country has struggled with political instability since its independence, and parliamentary elections initially set for 2024 have now been postponed until November 30.

On Monday, Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo announced his intention to run for re-election in upcoming polls, rescheduled for November due to logistical and financial difficulties. In a statement to an AFP correspondent after returning from a state visit to Russia, Embalo expressed confidence, declaring, “I will be a candidate, without a doubt, and I am going to win right from the first round.”

Having assumed office for a five-year term on February 27, 2020, following a highly debated election, President Embalo now faces opposition claims that his term expired last Thursday. These assertions provoked a strike organized by opposition factions; however, the presence of security forces in Bissau minimized its effectiveness.

Guinea-Bissau, which has a population of approximately two million and was formerly a Portuguese colony, has experienced prolonged political turmoil, marked by numerous coups since achieving independence in 1974. In December 2023, President Embalo dissolved the parliament, which was controlled by the opposition, following violent incidents he labeled as an attempted coup. Although he initially planned early legislative elections for November 2024, these were postponed indefinitely through a presidential decree. The elections are now set to occur on November 30.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo seeks re-election amid ongoing political turbulence in Guinea-Bissau. His announcement comes in the wake of logistical challenges that necessitated a rescheduling of the elections initially set for November 2024. The political landscape remains contentious as opposition groups contest the legitimacy of Embalo’s term and actions.

Original Source: newscentral.africa