Guinea Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has officially put off legislative elections that were planned for November 24, adding to the ongoing political uncertainty in this small West African nation. This announcement came on Monday.
The November election date had been set after Embalo dissolved parliament in December 2023, following what he called an attempted coup – referring to armed clashes that happened three days before the dissolution.
Signs that the election would be delayed started appearing last week, highlighting the ongoing instability that has long troubled this Portuguese-speaking country.
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On November 1, there was an early warning sign when Aristides Ocante da Silva, the minister for territorial administration, said the election probably couldn’t happen due to practical problems and lack of funds.
Embalo then hinted at the delay on Saturday, saying he would make it official this week.
The formal announcement came Monday when Fernando Delfim da Silva, Embalo’s political adviser, told reporters at the presidential palace in Bissau that the president had cancelled the July 2024 decree that had set the November election date.
The situation remains unclear, as Embalo hasn’t announced a new election date yet. His adviser indicated this would be determined in a future decree.
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