Crisis Chronology | Guinea-Bissau

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GUINEA-BISSAU

06/08/2023

Election Commission announces that opposition coalition PAI-Terre Ranke, led by PAI head Domingos Simões Pereir, wins a majority of seats, 54 of 102, in parliament. Embalo’s Madem-G15 party wins 29 seats. Embalo announces that he will appoint Pereir prime minister.

06/04/2023

Legislative elections, a year after President Embalo dissolved parliament on charges of corruption. Three main parties are seeking the 102 seats in parliament: Embalo’s Madem G15 party is the largest. The other two parties are the long-dominant African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and the Party for Social Renewal (PRS). Under the current political system, the majority party or coalition appoints the government but the president has the power to dismiss it in certain circumstances. That has led to political deadlock and infighting in the past.

05/17/2022

Embalo dissolves parliament, calling early elections for this year.

02/11/2022

Embalo says that former navy chief Admiral Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto and two of his aides were behind the coup attempt and have been arrested, among others.

02/01/2022

Attempted coup is foiled. Although no group is held responsible, President Umaro Sissoco Embalo says it was due to the government fight against drug trafficking and corruption.

04/21/2020

ECOWAS affirms the election of Embalo and asks him to appoint a prime minister by 5/22. A referendum on the constitution is scheduled for October.

03/03/2020

Embalo names new cabinet.

03/01/2020

Cassama resigns as president, in fear of his and his family’s lives

02/28/2020

Parliament, where the opposition PAIGC controls, swears in Cipriano Cassama as interim president. Embalo dismisses prime minister Aristides Gomes and the military surrounds his office.

02/27/2020

Umaro Sissoco Embalo inaugurates himself despite a challenge to the election. However, the opposition, which controls parliament opposes his seating and Pereira has filed a new petition to annul the vote.

02/05/2020

Embalo wins presidency

Election commission says Embalo has won the second round of the presidential election against Pereira, 54% to 46%.

01/17/2020

Supreme Court calls for clarification of vote totals.

01/01/2020

Pereira files suit contesting election results.

01/01/2020

Embalo elected president

Umaro Cissoko Embalo is declared official winner of presidential election.

11/29/2019

Former PMs Domingos Simoes Pereira and Umaro Sissoco Embalo will face each other in runoff 12/29.

11/24/2019

Presidential election in Guinea-Bissau. Pres José Mario Vaz’s main opponent is the leader of the majority party and ex-Prime Minister, Domingos Simoes Pereira, whom Vas dismissed in 2015.

10/29/2019

Vaz dissolves council of ministers, throwing the presidential election of November in doubt. That election would pit Vaz against former prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, whose 2015 dismissal started the political impasse.

06/06/2019

Portugal urges government to settle its differences and form a government. Braima Camará, leader of Madem G-15, was rejected for the position as second vice-president of the legislature, the National People’s Assembly. Madem G-15 refused to offer another candidate, creating a stalemate. The PAIGC says that it cannot seat a new government cannot be seated without a complete staffing of legislative offices and that new presidential elections cannot be scheduled without a new government. President José Mário Vaz’s term ends 6/23/19 and could leave the country without a government.

06/06/2019

05/31/2019

Protests about the stalemate in government. The PAIGC tells the army to expect clashes between the opposition and supporters of the government, but the military resists intervening.

05/31/2019

Protests about the stalemate in government. The PAIGC tells the army to expect clashes between the opposition and supporters of the government, but the military resists intervening.

05/07/2019

Strikes by the two main trade unions, National Union of Workers and the General Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, demanding payment of salary arrears and a revaluation of the minimum wage.

05/07/2019

Strikes by the two main trade unions, National Union of Workers and the General Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, demanding payment of salary arrears and a revaluation of the minimum wage.

03/12/2019

Ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde gains support of several smaller parties, giving it 49 of 107 seats in the legislature, enough to maintain its control of government. Madem G-15, composed of dissidents from the ruling party, won 27 seats and the Party for Social Renewal with 21 seats willing form a united opposition. The Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau, with 6 seats, could play a pivotal role. Its leader is Nuno Gomes Nabiam.