APA-Bissau (Guinea Bissau) This is the second time President Umaru Sissoco Embalo has dissolved parliament since coming to power in 2020.
Following political deadlocks, he had already interrupted the mandate of the 10th legislature in May 2022.
In a press release issued on Monday, the Guinea-Bissau presidency announced the dissolution of the People’s National Assembly. According to the text, the events of November 30 and December 1 were the main reason for President Umaru Sissoco Embalo’s decision.
National Guard soldiers had stormed the premises of the Judicial Police in Bissau to free the Minister of Finance, Souleiman Seidi, and the Secretary of State for the Treasury, Antonio Monteiro. They were in custody as part of an investigation into alleged irregular withdrawals of US$10 million.
At the time of the incident, the President was in Dubai to attend COP 28, the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference. On his return to Bissau, he described the events as an “attempted coup d’Etat.”
“This is an act aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order, resulting in the loss of human lives as a result of this criminal action. In view of this coup attempt, allegedly carried out by the National Guard, and the existence of solid evidence of political complicity, the normal functioning of the institutions of the Republic is compromised”, the president said about his decision to dissolve the People’s National Assembly.
The dissolution of parliament also entails the termination of the functions of the Prime Minister and the government.
The African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which controlled the dissolved parliament, also headed the government team. The President accuses the parliamentary majority of having covered up criminal acts within the government apparatus
“During the recent parliamentary debate on the misappropriation of public funds, the National People’s Assembly, instead of fighting for the strict application of the budget execution law and exercising its role of control over the actions of the Government, preferred to defend the members of the Executive suspected of being involved in acts of corruption seriously damaging to the higher interests of the State,” the press release points out.
This is the second time in his three-year reign that Umaru Sissoco Embalo has dissolved the People’s National Assembly. He had already done so in May 2022 following tensions between himself and parliament. The legislative elections held in June 2023 were won by the main opposition coalition Tera Tanka, led by the PAIGC.
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