Guinea-Bissau: former PM elected president

Former Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo has been elected president of Guinea-Bissau, beating rival and fellow ex-PM Domingos Simoes Pereira to achieve 54% of the vote. 

Mr Embalo has vowed to resolve political tensions in Guinea-Bissau, which has seen nine coups attempted since 1974. However, his competitor Mr Pereira has already contested the result, alleging electoral fraud as the reason behind his diminished share of the vote. He has threatened to mount a full challenge in the Supreme Court. 

Incumbent President Jose Mario Vaz also issued accusations of electoral fraud when he crashed out of the race in November. President Vaz is the first head of state to carry out his term without being deposed or assassinated. West African regional bloc Ecowas rejected the accusations and warned that it would deploy military force to “re-establish order” in the event of another coup. 

Mr Embalo, who served as prime minister between 2016 and 2018, has vowed to modernise Guinea-Bissau. He previously served as an army officer and has been nicknamed ‘The General’. 

Guinea-Bissau is one of the world’s poorest nations and Mr Embalo will have his work cut out for him as president. The country struggles under widespread poverty, as well as an unstable political system wherein parliament can appoint a prime minister but the president can simply dismiss them. 

Photo credit: Getty Images | SEYLLOU/AFP