The African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC has won a majority in Guinea-Bissau’s parliamentary elections, which international observers say mark just the first of many complicated steps for restoring stability in the country.
In the 16 November poll the PAIGC won 67 seats, followed by the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) with 28 and the Republican Party for Independent Development (PRID) with three, Aladji Mane, president of the national electoral commission (NEC), announced to reporters on 21 November. Former Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior has been returned to that post.
“Now, it appears there is a stronger majority, which could mean a stronger government,” Franco Nulli, head of the European Union delegation, told IRIN in the capital Bissau.
UN and donor representatives told IRIN the new government must now focus on reforming the public sector and strengthening the rule of law if it is to build a more stable future.
Guinea-Bissauans, who have seen four Prime Ministers come and go in as many years and have lived through decades of coups and volatility, are eager for positive change.
Aida, a 21-year-old student who voted for the first time, said: “We are tired of the politicians quarrelling. We want water, we want electricity…we just want to be normal.”
The NEC’s Mane declared the elections were “free, fair and transparent,” with 82 percent of eligible voters participating.
But some voters in PRS strongholds in Oio region told IRIN of irregularities such as insufficient voting materials. Some said they saw voting the day after the election. Farmer and PRS supporter Romeu Fernandes told IRIN: “We are obliged to accept the results, even if we found fraud.”
Mane vowed that individuals suspected of irregularities would be investigated and punished if found guilty.
High hopes
For the EU’s Nulli, the high voter turnout is a sign. “People are tired of not having water, electricity, education, stability. The high turn-out is a clear [indicator] that people want change.”
Sherif Sidi, who works at a petrol pumping station in Bissau, told IRIN: “I hope [Prime Minister] Carlos Gomes Junior will help this country. We ask him to relieve the suffering of the people, most of whom live on less than US$1 per day."
To deliver essential services, Nulli says the new government needs to completely reform its administration and its finances.
The country is almost bankrupt and civil servants across many ministries face months of wage arrears, he said. Teachers have been on strike since June 2008 because of lack of pay.
Giuseppina Mazza, head of the UN in Guinea-Bissau said: “The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid. It must [now] work on increasing its revenue and streamlining public finances.”
Strengthen rule of law
The government should also build up its judiciary system and reform its security sector, Mazza told IRIN.
“A strong rule of law is fundamental to develop the private sector and to create jobs and wealth,” she said. "If there are no reforms of the legal framework, there will be no solid foundation to develop the country."
Guinea-Bissau is a major drugs transit point between South America and Europe, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Party activists repeatedly made drug-related allegations in the final days of election campaigning, accusing opponents of receiving money from traffickers.
“A lot of financial means that were injected into the campaign come from unknown origins. It is easy to speculate, but the fact is that we just don’t know,” the EU’s Nulli said.
“Drug trafficking is a reality here but Guinea-Bissau cannot carry the burden alone – it is [happening] all around West Africa. The main catches are not here,” he continued.
But exaggerated or not, he agreed drug trafficking is a problem that will have to be tackled by the next government.
mab/dab/aj/np
In the 16 November poll the PAIGC won 67 seats, followed by the Party for Social Renewal (PRS) with 28 and the Republican Party for Independent Development (PRID) with three, Aladji Mane, president of the national electoral commission (NEC), announced to reporters on 21 November. Former Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior has been returned to that post.
“Now, it appears there is a stronger majority, which could mean a stronger government,” Franco Nulli, head of the European Union delegation, told IRIN in the capital Bissau.
UN and donor representatives told IRIN the new government must now focus on reforming the public sector and strengthening the rule of law if it is to build a more stable future.
Guinea-Bissauans, who have seen four Prime Ministers come and go in as many years and have lived through decades of coups and volatility, are eager for positive change.
Aida, a 21-year-old student who voted for the first time, said: “We are tired of the politicians quarrelling. We want water, we want electricity…we just want to be normal.”
The NEC’s Mane declared the elections were “free, fair and transparent,” with 82 percent of eligible voters participating.
But some voters in PRS strongholds in Oio region told IRIN of irregularities such as insufficient voting materials. Some said they saw voting the day after the election. Farmer and PRS supporter Romeu Fernandes told IRIN: “We are obliged to accept the results, even if we found fraud.”
Mane vowed that individuals suspected of irregularities would be investigated and punished if found guilty.
Photo: Marc-André Boisvert/IRIN  |
| Pre-election march through capital |
For the EU’s Nulli, the high voter turnout is a sign. “People are tired of not having water, electricity, education, stability. The high turn-out is a clear [indicator] that people want change.”
Sherif Sidi, who works at a petrol pumping station in Bissau, told IRIN: “I hope [Prime Minister] Carlos Gomes Junior will help this country. We ask him to relieve the suffering of the people, most of whom live on less than US$1 per day."
To deliver essential services, Nulli says the new government needs to completely reform its administration and its finances.
The country is almost bankrupt and civil servants across many ministries face months of wage arrears, he said. Teachers have been on strike since June 2008 because of lack of pay.
Giuseppina Mazza, head of the UN in Guinea-Bissau said: “The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid. It must [now] work on increasing its revenue and streamlining public finances.”
|
Photo: Marc-André Boisvert/IRIN |
| Polling station in capital on election day |
The government should also build up its judiciary system and reform its security sector, Mazza told IRIN.
“A strong rule of law is fundamental to develop the private sector and to create jobs and wealth,” she said. "If there are no reforms of the legal framework, there will be no solid foundation to develop the country."
Guinea-Bissau is a major drugs transit point between South America and Europe, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
Party activists repeatedly made drug-related allegations in the final days of election campaigning, accusing opponents of receiving money from traffickers.
“A lot of financial means that were injected into the campaign come from unknown origins. It is easy to speculate, but the fact is that we just don’t know,” the EU’s Nulli said.
“Drug trafficking is a reality here but Guinea-Bissau cannot carry the burden alone – it is [happening] all around West Africa. The main catches are not here,” he continued.
But exaggerated or not, he agreed drug trafficking is a problem that will have to be tackled by the next government.
mab/dab/aj/np
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article