Guinea-Bissau Speaker: December Elections ‘Impracticable’
The President of the National People’s Assembly of Guinea-Bissau, Domingos Simões Pereira, declared on Monday that it is “objectively impossible” to hold the country’s scheduled elections on December 6. Speaking to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee in Lisbon, Pereira noted that the deadline for submitting candidacies expired today with zero candidates coming forward.
A Climate of Political Suppression
Pereira, who also leads the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), argued that the logistical failure to register candidates is a symptom of a much deeper crisis. He emphasized that an electoral campaign cannot take place in a country where basic democratic freedoms have been dismantled.
“When we speak of democracy, we speak of freedom of expression, protest, assembly, and organization,” Pereira said. “If these conditions are not restored—given that all political protest is suspended in Guinea-Bissau and political parties are prohibited from carrying out any activity—then how can one speak of normalcy or preparation for elections?”
A Call for International Intervention
The legislative leader urged international partners, including Portugal, the African Union, the European Union, and ECOWAS, to step in and facilitate a return to constitutional order. He clarified that he is not currently calling for sanctions, but rather for international bodies to treat the opposition as “valid interlocutors” in the effort to restore the Rule of Law.
“I came to ask that you continue to see us as a way to restore hope that we can return to a normal society,” Pereira told Portuguese deputies. He suggested that the current authorities could earn a “vote of confidence” by reopening the National Assembly’s permanent commission as a sign of goodwill toward political normalization.
Escaping a Cycle of Instability
Pereira’s presence in Lisbon follows a period of intense personal and political turmoil. He was released from preventive detention in Bissau on July 24, having been held since July 10 on allegations involving an attempted coup in October 2025—charges he has consistently faced as part of a broader crackdown on the opposition.
Guinea-Bissau has been mired in uncertainty since a coup d’état on November 26, 2025. The military action took place just days after legislative and presidential elections that had initially proceeded without incident. The fallout from the coup led to the detention of Pereira and other opposition figures, effectively paralyzing the country’s democratic institutions. As the December deadline nears, the lack of candidates confirms that the nation remains far from a peaceful transition to civilian rule.
Image: Pexels – Sayeed Chowdhury
