The President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoko Embalo, said this Friday that he is not closing parliament and pointed to “October/November” as a possible date for new legislative elections, in accordance with the African country’s electoral laws.
On December 4, the head of state dissolved the National People’s Assembly and dissolved the PAI-Terra Ranca majority government, appointing a leader of the presidential initiative to govern the country, led by Rui Duarte Barros.
Parliament has since been closed, and on 13 December 2023, the leader of parliament and some MPs from the majority led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) were prevented from entering the building by police who fired tear gas.
The President spoke for the first time this Friday about the situation in this sovereign body, saying that he never closed parliament, in a meeting with journalists before leaving for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he will attend the inauguration of the new parliament. -elected president.
“I dissolved parliament, this is a constitutional extension of the powers of the president of the republic. The President of the Republic did not close parliament,” said Felix Tshisekedi.
Guinea’s president said he had dissolved parliament, as had happened in Portugal, and cited the example of Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, saying he had also dissolved parliament over an alleged corruption case involving the prime minister’s name. , Antonio Costa.
“We here, with the coup attempt and rampant corruption, need to get out of the envelope we’re in,” he said, insisting that “no one is above the law and that this country [Guiné-Bissau] it will be like Senegal, like Portugal.”
The decision of the President of Guinea-Bissau was challenged and declared unconstitutional because it was taken before the expiration of the 12 months of legislative elections required by the Constitution.
Sissoko said that Guinea-Bissau also has a standing committee in parliament and that if it is not working, the question should be asked of parliamentarians.
“I am the President of the Republic, the President of the Republic is not the policeman, the jailer who has the key, or the owner of the key to Parliament,” he replied.
“I did not order the closure of parliament, I dissolved parliament,” he insisted.
Regarding calling new legislative elections, Sissoko said that “it is not the president who makes the decision, the president sets the dates.”
He said he would “begin consultations with the National Elections Commission” and then set a date, which the country’s electoral law requires to be in October/November, after the end of the rainy season.
“In any case, we will find a consensus. The president only sets the date, the government and the National Election Commission organize the elections,” he explained.
The President spoke on the eve of the centenary of the birth of historical leader Amilcar Cabral, which falls on January 20. Regarding possible celebrations, he stated that the same debates that took place in Cape Verde are also taking place in Guinea-Bissau.
“Amilcar Cabral is the leader and founder of PAIGC, but the celebration [do centenário] is controversial. This year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Amílcar Cabral, but just as in Cape Verde there was a debate on this issue, we also have this situation here, we are managing it to reach consensus,” he said .
The head of state also responded to a report by the Guinea League for Human Rights, which concluded that between 2020 and 2022, the rule of law in Guinea-Bissau gave way to authoritarianism and a tendency towards dictatorship.
“If we were talking about women’s rights, I wouldn’t sleep today, but human rights… the international community knows Oumaro Sissoko Embalo,” the president said, referring to former leaders who, after leaving the League, “were appointed to public service “.
“Everyone knows me, and I don’t have a culture of violence. (…) They may think I am a dictator, but I am a disciplinarian, there can be no disorder,” he said.
The President also said that “today in Guinea-Bissau you will not see people dead at home and trapped on the street.”
“Since I was the president of the republic, who was beaten by the military?” – he asked.
The head of state also took the opportunity to ask the Guinean people not to be hostile towards the national football team, which sits last in Group A with zero points at the final stage of the Championship of African Nations (CAN).
“As always, hugs to the team, the very fact of your participation is very good,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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