The Inclusive Patriotic Alliance (API-Cabas Garandi) has reiterated that as of February 27, 2025, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, , will no longer be considered the legitimate President of the country and will be treated as the “former President of the Republic, due to vacancy of the post”.
The position of API-Cabas Garandi was made public this Wednesday, through a press release read by the Secretary General of API, Agostinho Cobde Nhanca, in response to the government’s intention to propose to the head of state the scheduling of general, presidential and legislative elections, between October 23 and November 25.
In the statement, the API-Cabas Garandi Inclusive Patriotic Alliance considered the government’s proposal “an isolated, irresponsible, non-binding act” and furthermore, “illegal”, because “government decisions are made at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers, chaired by the Prime Minister”.
“Furthermore, in terms of elections, the National Electoral Commission is exclusively responsible for organising and holding elections, after prior hearing of political parties by the President of the Republic and the subsequent scheduling of elections by the Head of State,” he noted.
“Article 186 of Law No. 10/2013 (Electoral Law), of 25 September, which is reproduced, states the following: doubts and omissions arising from the application of this Law are resolved by deliberation of the Permanent Committee of the National Popular Assembly”, he insisted.
For API-Cabas Garandi, the provisions of the aforementioned law should be applied first with regard to the legislative and presidential elections, contradicting the position of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who “invites anyone who disagrees with the government’s position to appeal to the courts”.
API-Cabas Garandi recalled that the two summits of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS ordered the dispatch of a high-level mission and the initiation of a broad institutional and inclusive dialogue, “rejected by the President of the Republic”.
Regarding the dates proposed by the executive, Agostinho Cobde Nhanca stated that “the one who sets the elections is the President of the Republic, not the government” and insisted that they will await the President of the Republic, because “any decisions regarding the elections must be made through consensus with political parties with and without parliamentary seats”.
When asked about API’s position regarding the controversy surrounding the end of the President of the Republic’s term, he clarified that “the head of state is no longer the President of the Republic, but rather the ‘outgoing president’ and it is his responsibility to assume duties on February 27th.
