Lisbon, Nov. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - African studies expert Edson Incopte believes that the forthcoming elections in Guinea-Bissau are important. However, holding them will not solve the country's problems; rather, it is a continuous effort that begins with each citizen.
"It's important to hold elections, citizens need to demonstrate through elections, but it doesn't stop there, because democracy doesn't begin and end with holding elections," he told Lusa news agency, referring to the upcoming elections in Guinea-Bissau, scheduled for Sunday.
Manager of the Padre António Vieira Institute (IPAV), which promotes reflection, training and action to promote human dignity, social solidarity, sustainability, development and intercultural dialogue, Edson Incopte believes that "the problem in Guinea-Bissau has not been the holding of elections".
"We have to be able, in this process of building democracy, to work continuously, not only at the level of individual citizens, but also involving civil society, a strong civil society, capable of acting and fulfilling its role as such, without it being in a context of insecurity and violence, which is fundamental," he said.
The Guinean believes that, in the short term, the scenarios ahead in this African country indicate that "a regime has been created and is installed in Guinea-Bissau today that will not give up its intentions so easily".
"We are currently in an uncertain situation regarding the governance of Guinea-Bissau. We're talking about general elections, which involve legislative and presidential elections, but it's no coincidence that the presidential elections are being given full focus," he warned.
In his view, this is because the outcome of the presidential elections will be decisive for the governance that emerges from the legislative elections.
"We run the risk of Guinea-Bissau then entering a situation of quasi-ungovernability depending on who wins the presidential elections," he said, adding: "Either we go down a path of greater ungovernability or we go down a path of consolidating autocracy and the anti-democratic regime in Guinea-Bissau."
The race for the Presidency of the Republic has a total of 12 candidates, including the current President, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who is running for a second term, and most of the others with the common theme of overthrowing the current regime, accused of violating freedoms, attacks and kidnappings of activists and opponents.
Sissoco Embaló came to power in February 2020 amid a legal dispute over the results of the 2019 presidential elections, which were contested by Domingos Simões Pereira, leader of the PAIGC, with whom he faced off in the second round.
The Supreme Court confirmed Embaló's victory in September 2020, and five years later, the issue is back in the spotlight with the opposition arguing that the presidential term ended in February 2025 and the head of state defending the date of the court decision, September.
During his term, Sissoco Embaló dissolved parliament twice, the first in May 2022, which led to the 2023 legislative elections, and the second that same year, removing the PAI-Terra Ranka coalition from power.
The dissolution of 2023 and the end of the presidential term gave rise to Sunday's general elections, in which, in addition to Sissoco Embaló, Fernando Dias, Siga Batista, the former president of the Republic, Embaló's predecessor José Mário Vaz (Jomav), former prime minister Baciro Dja and João Bernardo Vieira are running for president.
Other candidates include Mamadu Iaia Djaló, Herculano Armando Bequinsa, João de Deus Mendes, Honório Augusto Lopes, Gabriel Fernandes and Mário da Silva Júnior.
The legislative elections have 14 competing political groups, without, for the first time, the participation of the historic African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde (PAIGC).
*** The Lusa news agency's office in Guinea-Bissau has been suspended since August after the government expelled the representatives of the Portuguese media. Coverage is being provided remotely *** SMM/ADB // ADB.
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