Guinea-Bissau faces rising political tension as presidential frontrunners Umaro Sissoco Embalo and Fernando Dias both declare victory ahead of official results
Political tension grows in Guinea-Bissau after the two leading presidential candidates, Fernando Dias and incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, declare victory ahead of the release of official results.
Dias’ campaign was the first to announce triumph, claiming that he had secured enough votes to win the tightly contested election. President Embalo’s representatives later countered, insisting their candidate had won “more than 50% of the vote,” eliminating the need for a runoff. Local media report that the National Election Commission is expected to publish official results later on Tuesday.
Analysts warn that the competing claims could heighten political instability in the West African nation, which has a history of military coups and abrupt changes of power.
Dias enjoys the backing of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and prominent political figure and former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, whose own presidential candidacy was rejected earlier on procedural grounds.
For President Embalo, securing a second term would be historic. He would become the first leader in nearly 30 years to successfully win re-election in a country where political transitions have rarely followed constitutional order.
The vote has been widely described as one of the most contentious in Guinea-Bissau’s recent democratic history, following the exclusion of the country’s main opposition party from the ballot, a move that heightened public scrutiny and political division as citizens awaited the final outcome.
About the Author
1 thought on “Guinea-Bissau: Dias, Embalo Claim Win in Presidential Poll”