Dakar, Nov 23, (dpa/GNA) – Guinea-Bissau went to the polls on Sunday for presidential and parliamentary elections, with President Umaro Sissoco Embaló seeking a new term in a vote postponed by more than a year.
Embaló, 53, dissolved parliament nearly two years ago, following an outbreak of violence he described as an attempted coup, triggering the delay to both polls.
His mandate expired months ago in February according to the opposition, and in September according to the Supreme Court.
The main opposition party, which had held a parliamentary majority for years, has been barred from the election. It is backing independent candidate Fernando Dias, seen as the strongest of the 11 challengers to Embaló.
A run-off will be held in the West African country if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote. Results are expected within days.
Embaló, a former general who served as prime minister from 2016 to 2018, won the 2019 presidential election with nearly 54% of the vote.
GNA