Guinea Bissau: Elections Rescheduled Amid Political Turmoil

Guinea Bissau has announced that postponed presidential and legislative elections will take place on December 6. The delay followed a coup by army officers that disrupted the previous electoral process. Criticism from regional bloc ECOWAS urged restoration of order, as the electoral commission faced challenges due to destroyed voting data.

Guinea Bissau is set to hold its presidential and legislative elections on December 6, according to a presidential decree issued on Wednesday. This announcement follows a coup in the West African nation late last year, which had disrupted the initial voting process.

The political upheaval unfolded when army officers seized power on November 26, just one day before the electoral commission was scheduled to announce contentious election results. Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo was ousted, and Major-General Horta Inta-a was appointed as interim president.

The coup drew censure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which urged the reinstatement of order and the completion of the election. The electoral commission reported challenges in resuming the process because armed groups had seized ballots and damaged servers containing the electoral data.

(With inputs from agencies.)