The World Briefly
June 12, 2023New Faces
Guinea-Bissau
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A coalition of opposition parties won Guinea-Bissau’s parliamentary elections, dealing a blow to President Umaro Sissoco Embalo who dissolved the legislature last year over disputes with lawmakers, Al Jazeera reported.
Results showed that the five-party coalition Terra Ranka secured 54 of 102 seats in last week’s vote, while Embalo’s Madem G15 party only won 29 seats.
Around 200 international monitors observed the highly-anticipated vote and described the ballot as “free, transparent and calm.”
The results are a setback for Embalo, who attempted to push for constitutional changes that would have altered Guinea-Bissau’s semi-presidential system in order to consolidate his power.
Last year, he dissolved parliament following a falling out with legislators.
Analysts said that the poor performance of Embalo’s party was caused by internal conflicts and unpopularity with rural voters impacted by the falling price of cashew nuts – a major source of income in the West African country.
The former Portuguese colony has faced frequent political crises, with at least 10 coups or attempted coups since it gained independence in 1974. In February 2022, there was a coup attempt against Embalo.
Under the current system, the majority party or coalition will form a new government – but the president has the power to dismiss it in certain circumstances.
However, this has led to political deadlocks and infighting in the past, observers added.
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