Guinea-Bissau heads to power-sharing after parliamentary vote

Guinea-Bissau's opposition has won an overall majority in legislative elections, ushering in power-sharing with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, according to official results announced Thursday.

Supporters of PAI – Terra Ranka celebrate on the streets of Bissau 8 June 2023 after hearing provisional election results. © Bineta Diagne/RFI

PAI-Terra Ranka, a coalition led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) won an absolute majority of 54 out of 102 seats, well ahead of Embalo's Madem G15 party, which picked up 29.

The Party for Social Renewal (PRS) won 12 seats, the Workers' Party, founded just six months ago, picked up six and the Assembly of the People United one seat.

"We are opening a new page in the political history of our country," the head of PAIGC Domingo Simoes Pereira told RFI. 

Sunday's vote was given a clean bill of health by some 200 international monitors, who said they had not observed any major incident and described the ballot as "free, transparent and calm".

Party has failed

The outcome is a blow for Embalo, who came to power in 2019.

He dissolved the National Assembly in May 2022 after falling out with lawmakers, describing the legislature as a "space for guerrilla politics and plotting".

Embalo acknowledged the setback in an address to the nation following the announcement of the results.

"My party has failed. The people have punished it," he said, congratulating the winning coalition.

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The country of nearly 2 million people has seen frequent political instability with four military coups since it gained independence from Portugal in 1974.

There was also an attempt to overthrow Embalo in February 2022.

Analysts said Embalo’s electoral setback was caused by rifts within his party and unpopularity with rural voters hit by the falling prices of cashew nuts, a major source of income.

• Guinea-Bissau: Falling cashew prices hit country hard

Under the constitution, the party which obtains the majority in parliament automatically gains the post of prime minister.

Embalo is expected to announce Pereire's appointment shortly.