early legislative elections postponed, for political and institutional reasons

In Guinea-Bissau, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo formalized on Monday November 4 the postponement of the early legislative elections initially scheduled for November 24. As a reminder, he dissolved Parliament in December 2023. What are the reasons for this postponement?

The researcher at the Dakar Institute for Security Studies, Paulin Maurice Toupane, analyzes the reasons for this postponement. “There are logistical and financial reasons, but also political ones. It seems to me that President Embalo will have lost the main supporters who brought him to power in 2021, notably Madem, but also the PLS,” he notes.

“But beyond these two reasons, there are legal and institutional reasons, because none of the institutions involved in the electoral process currently seem to respect the criteria defined by the laws and regulations in Guinea-Bissau to organize this election,” he continues at the microphone of Welly Diallo from the Africa editorial team.

At the National Electoral Commission (CNE), “the mandates of the members expired three years ago and until now, we have not been able to elect either the president or the members of the executive secretariat,” points out the researcher. “You have the Standing Committee of the National Assembly which is the only body of the Assembly which functions in the event of dissolution of the National Assembly and which could have proceeded with the election of the members of the CNE. But unfortunately this committee was also paralyzed. »

“And finally, you have a Supreme Court that does not meet the rules of institutional normality to be able to get involved in the electoral process. »