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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Election Tracker
Guinea-Bissau
Credit:Zeljko Heimer (FOTW Flags Of The World website at flagspot.net)
Election Date: July 24, 2005
Abstract: At stake: PresidentAt stake: President
Background
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Guinea-Bissau became independent from Portugal in 1974. Luís de Almeida Cabral and his African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) ruled the country until 1980, when military strongman João Vieira seized power in a coup. Vieira introduced economic measures that briefly made the country a model for African nations, but corruption and autocracy were still rampant.
After winning the country's first free elections in 1994, Vieira was ousted, and a brutal civil war gripped the West African nation in the late 1990s. During the conflict, hundreds of people were killed and thousands were displaced. Guinea-Bissau is now one of the world's least developed nations—with an average per capita income of $170 U.S. a year—and relies heavily on foreign aid.
In 2000, Kumba Ialá of the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) won the presidential election in a run-off. Despite democratic efforts, stability proved unreachable as Ialá faced a rebellion by a military junta and an attempted coup. The president led a mostly unstable administration, appointing and firing five different prime ministers and changing cabinet members 50 times.
In November 2002, Ialá called for early elections after a dispute with prime minister Faustino Imbali over the country's tax system. The vote was postponed several times. On Sept. 14, 2003, a group led by army chief of staff Veríssimo Correia Seabre staged a bloodless coup and took control of the country. Correia declared himself "interim president" and promised to turn power over to a civilian administration.
In October 2003, a 16-member transitional cabinet was introduced. Businessman Henrique Rosa and PRS secretary general Artur Antonio Sanhá were appointed as president and prime minister respectively. Two members of the ousted regime—defence minister Filomena Mascarenha Tipote and social amenities minister Dionisio Cabi—kept their portfolios.
In March 2004, Guinea-Bissau renewed the People's National Assembly in an election that resulted in a victory for the PAIGC.
Click here for Guinea-Bissau 2004 People's National Assembly Election Tracker Presidential Election 2005
Guinea-Bissau voters were expected to choose a head of state on May 8, but the election was re-scheduled for Jun. 19 due to "technical reasons."
On Mar. 27, the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) chose former president Kumba Ialá as its nominee. PRS interim leader Alberto Nambeia said Ialá is "the only candidate who can bring victory to the PRS during the elections."
Ialá was originally barred from political activity for five years after the September 2003 coup. Prime minister Carlos Gomes Junior—who substituted Artur Antonio Sanhá in May 2004—said Ialá's status was unclear, but stopped short of banning him from contention. All candidates must be cleared by the country's Supreme Court.
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) picked Malam Bacai Sanhá—who lost the run-off to Ialá in 2000—as its candidate.
More than 30,000 voters allegedly signed a petition to register João Vieira, who orchestrated the 1980 coup. Ialá and Vieira had to wait for the result of discussions on a law that would grant amnesty to all those accused of abuse of power from November 1980 to October 2004.
On May 11, the Supreme Court authorized 14 presidential candidates. The final list includes Ialá, Vieira and Bacai Sanhá.
On May 27, interim president Henrique Rosa said the election would take place as scheduled. The campaign took an unexpected turn after Ialá declared himself the legitimate head of state and allegedly occupied the presidential palace for a few hours. Rosa called the incident "an attempted coup."
On May 28, Guinea-Bissau's authorities announced a criminal inquiry into the incident involving Ialá. On May 30, United Nations (UN) representative Ahmedou Ould Abdallah called on all political parties to ensure a "reliable, calm, fair and transparent" election.
On Jun. 15, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan called on Guinea-Bissau's presidential contenders to "do their utmost to ensure a peaceful election on Sunday and to accept the results."
On Jun. 16, former Mozambique president Joaquim Chissano arrived as a special UN envoy to observe the election, along with monitors from the European Union (EU), the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Chissano urged "all voters in Guinea-Bissau to exercise their right with civility and maturity. The same goes for all the candidates, who must wait calmly and patiently for the results once the vote is over."
Voting took place on Jun. 19. Chief EU election monitor Johan Van Heck said his group noted no major irregularities, adding, "We have the impression that throughout the country everyone has had the chance to express themselves without being intimidated."
Shortly after voting, Vieira expressed satisfaction, saying, "I hope that the elections go through without trouble and if I lose, I will accept the results." Official tallies were not expected until Jun. 29.
On Jun. 20, Van Heck praised the fact that "the military forces abstained from intervening in the process and rather helped the conduct of the election." The EU observer added, "More than 90 percent of the polling stations were fully operational an hour after they had opened, and the secret ballot was guaranteed."
On Jun. 22, provisional tallies put Bacai Sanhá in first place with 158,276 votes, followed by Vieira with 128,918 votes, and Ialá with 111,606 votes. The results were deemed "false" by members of Ialá's PRS.
On Jun. 24, at least two people died when police fired tear gas and live bullets at a crowd of Ialá supporters, who were protesting the released results. Cape Verde president Pedro Pires urged all candidates to "accept with maturity the "sovereign verdict" of voters.
Guinea-Bissau's constitution establishes that the run-off must take place 21 days after the results of the first round are confirmed.
On Jun. 26, Ialá declared himself the winner "with 38.87 percent," adding, "The national electoral commission changed the results."
Electoral commission head Malam Mane launched "a strong appeal for moderation and public-spiritedness." Turnout for the first round was tabled at 87.3 per cent—the highest in the country's history.
On Jun. 27, Ialá finally acknowledged the outcome of the first round, saying, "I won these elections, but in the interest of democracy, of peace, I accept the results."
On Jun. 28, prime minister Gomes Junior said the government would be able to afford the cost of the second round—estimated at $2.8 million U.S.—and pay the salaries of election workers after receiving "generous support" from foreign entities. On Jun. 29, Mane announced that the run-off would take place on Jul. 24.
On Jul. 2, Ialá endorsed Vieira and urged all PRS members to support him in the second round.
On Jul. 4, ECOWAS executive secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambas urged the country's armed forces to remain neutral, saying, "No one should use provocative language. No one should do anything that would inflame passions and lead to violence which would undermine democracy in Guinea Bissau."
On Jul. 14, Bacai Sanhá promised peace and stability, declaring, "If I win the elections, there will never again be bloodshed in Guinea-Bissau."
On Jul. 16, unidentified gunmen killed a policeman and wounded two others in an apparent attack on the country's Interior Ministry and presidential palace. Security forces later arrested four assailants.
On Jul. 19, interior minister Al Adji Mumini Embalo said he suspects opposition politician Biaia Wack Na Pana—a supporter of Ialá—financed the attack.
On Jul. 20, Pana denied any role in the hostility, saying, "They only know how to persecute somebody for their political or religious convictions or because of who their friends are. How could I finance such an operation when I live in deplorable conditions?"
Run-off voting took place on Jul. 24. Interim president Rosa urged for a high turnout, declaring, "We can't miss this chance, because it's our future that's at stake. We all must unite to be able to forgive each other and wipe the slate clean."
Bacai Sanhá called the election "a decisive turning point in the history of Guinea-Bissau," adding, "I will recognize the results, whatever they may be." Vieira said he was "confident of victory" after casting his ballot.
On Jul. 27, a communiqué signed by the EU, the CPLP and ECOWAS commended Guinea-Bissau voters for their "maturity" and praised the electoral commission for the "good organization of the electoral process."
On Jul. 28, the electoral commission revealed that Vieira had a 20,000 vote advantage over Bacai Sanhá in partial run-off tallies. Commission head Mane insisted that the results were "provisional" since the PAIGC demanded a recount, citing irregularities in the capital and in the west.
Vieira welcomed his apparent victory, declaring, "From today, Guinea-Bissau will change in the right direction."
On Jul. 31, prime minister Gomes Junior hinted at possible problems, declaring, "The PAIGC will not, in any way, accept the preliminary results that have been published."
On Aug. 2, Mane acknowledged some irregularities, declaring, "Analysis shows that the number of votes counted in certain polling stations are above the number of registered voters. Checks will be made region by region." On Aug. 3, the deadline for the publication of results passed without an official announcement.
On Aug. 4, Cape Verdian president Pedro Pires traveled to Guinea-Bissau to mediate in the dispute over the presidential election. Pires declared, "It is my duty to do all I can to find a solution. In Guinea-Bissau there are a lot of patriotic people and I am sure that they will do everything to save their country."
On Aug. 10, the electoral commission proclaimed Vieira as the winner of the presidential run-off with 52.35 per cent. The commission acknowledged that irregularities had taken place, but deemed them too minor to affect the outcome. Bacai Sanhá dismissed the announcement, saying, "The PAIGC will not accept or recognize the published results."
On Oct. 1, Vieira was sworn in as president, declaring, "I will base my mandate on the principles of reconciliation and national unity. (...) The country must get in step with the world." Prime minister Gomes Junior vowed to work with the new head of state.
On Oct. 28, Vieira dismissed the government of Gomes Junior. On Nov. 2, Aristides Gomes is appointed and sworn in as prime minister. A week later, a new government is formed with Gomes taking over the interior portfolio, Vitor Mandinga as finance minister, Antonio Isaac Monteiro as foreign minister, and Helder Proenca as defence minister.
Political Players
President: João Vieira
Prime minister: Aristides Gomes
The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote.
Legislative Branch: The Assembleia Nacional Popular (People's National Assembly) has 102 members, elected to four-year terms in multi-member constituencies. Two seats are set aside to represent migrant Guinea-Bissau citizens.
Results of Last Election:
President - Jun. 19 and Jul. 24, 2005
Jun. 19 | Jul. 24 | |
João Vieira - | 28.87% | 52.35% |
Malam Bacai Sanhá - African Party | 35.45% | 47.65% |
Kumba Ialá - | 25.00% | -- |
Francisco Fadul - United Social | 2.85% | -- |
Aregado Mantenque Té - | 2.02% | -- |
Mamadú Iaia Djaló - | 1.59% | -- |
Mário Lopes da Rosa - | 1.09% | -- |
Idrissa Djaló - | 0.81% | -- |
Adelino Mano Queta - | 0.63% | -- |
Faustino Imbali - Manifesto of the | 0.52% | -- |
Paulino Empossa Ié - | 0.50% | -- |
Antonieta Rosa Gomes - Guinean Civic | 0.37% | -- |
João Tatis Sá - | 0.31% | -- |
People's National Assembly - Mar. 28, 2004
(Results from 100 of 102 constituencies)
Vote% | Seats | |
African Party for the Independence of | 31.45% | 45 |
Party for Social Renewal (PRS) | 24.76% | 35 |
United Social Democracy Party (PUSD) | 16.09% | 17 |
United Platform (Plataf.) | 4.50% | -- |
Electoral Union (UE) | 4.06% | 2 |
Social Democratic Party (PDS) | 1.93% | -- |
Union for Change (UM) | 1.90% | -- |
Resistance of Guinea-Bissau (RGB) | 1.73% | -- |
National Unity Party (PUN) | 1.38% | -- |
United Popular Alliance (APU) | 1.28% | 1 |
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) | 1.13% | -- |
Guinean Democratic Movement (MDG) | 0.94% | -- |
Guinean Civic Forum - Social Democracy (FCG-SD) | 0.93% | -- |
Manifesto of the People Party (Manifesto) | 0.75% | -- |
Socialist Party of Guinea-Bissau (PS-GB) | 0.27% | -- |
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