Bissau-Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has announced the dissolution of parliament and the calling of early parliamentary elections before the end of this year, according to a presidential decree issued on Monday.
The Head of State evokes a “political crisis which has called into question the normal institutional links between the organs of sovereignty” and which “is evident today”.
Speaking of “persistent and unresolved differences” with Parliament, Embalo said he heard from the President of the People’s National Assembly (Parliament), the political parties represented in Parliament and the Council of State before taking his decision.
For him, “with this political crisis, the capital of trust between the organs of sovereignty is exhausted”. He thus intends to give, once again, the possibility to his compatriots to have the Parliament of their choice.
“I have decided to give the floor back to Guineans so that this year again, they can freely choose at the ballot box the parliament they wish to have,” he said.
For several months, Guinea-Bissau has been plagued by tensions between the presidency and the Parliament which, according to the Head of State, has become “a space of political guerrilla warfare and conspiracy”..
The presidency also accuses the People’s National Assembly of having protected deputies implicated in acts of corruption, and of having opposed the audit of its accounts.
Since its independence, this West African country has continually faced political crises and institutional blockages. He also recorded numerous coup attempts.