Guinea-Bissau – Parliament dissolved

Just before going on vacation I posted on what seemed like an impending crisis in Guinea-Bissau. I have just caught up with events there and things have moved on.

Recall that Prime Minister Martinho Dafa Cabi had come to power in April 2007 on the basis of a agreement between three parties, the PAIGC with 45/100 seats in the Assembly, the PRS and the PUSD. In late July 2008 the PAIGC withdrew from the government and went into opposition, making it almost impossible for the government to survive.

In that context, on 5 August President Joao Bernardo Vieira dissolved the Assembly. Parliamentary elections were already scheduled to be held on 16 November. I have seen nothing to indicate that they will not be held or that they will be held either earlier or later.

On the same day as the dissolution President Vieira appointed Carlos Correia as prime minister. Prime Minister Correia had held the post previously from 1991-94 and then from June 1997 to December 1998. He is a member of the PAIGC. The members of the new government were named on 10 August.

On 6 August President Vieira hinted that there had been the threat of a coup. On the same day the head of the navy, Admiral Américo Bubo Na Tchuto, was sacked and went into hiding in Gambia, despite being supposedly under guard by members of the military. He has since denied organising a coup plot. More recently, President Vieira has stated that a political leader was behind the plot, but declined to name him.

President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal has helped to restore some authority in the country by sending a delegation that met with the various parties, including members of the military.

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