President Jose Mario Vaz
BISSAU, Nov 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Guinea Bissau holds a presidential election on Sunday that voters hope will bring change to the coup-prone nation after weeks of political chaos that sparked violent protests and deadlocked parliament.
President Jose Mario Vaz, 61, is seeking re-election for a second term, and he remains popular among cashew nut farmers in the interior after raising prices for the nuts — the tiny West African country’s biggest export earner.
But he faces stiff opposition following a first five-year term marred by political infighting, regular high-level sackings and corruption that came to a head in the run-up to Sunday’s election.
While no reliable opinion polls have been published, political analysts say the front-runner is former Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, 56, a moderniser with a relaxed style whose promise to bolster health and education have made him popular with younger voters in the capital, Bissau.
Preliminary results are expected on Nov 28. If there is no outright winner, a second round between the top two candidates will take place on Dec 29.
Guinea Bissau has suffered nine coups or attempted coups since independence from Portugal in 1974, most recently in 2012 when a military takeover disrupted elections. If Vaz completes his term, he will be the first president to do so.
Vaz has promised to accept the results of the vote, using his closing campaign speech on Friday to highlight the fact that he had finished his term in office. — NNN-AGENCIES
