The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) will integrate “in principle” the presidential initiative government, which is being formed in Guinea-Bissau, the party’s leader, Manuel dos Santos, said on Wednesday.
We came here to help prepare the formation of the Government by presidential initiative, which will take place in a few days. The PAIGC will participate, in principle it will participate”, said Commander ‘Manecas’.
The PAIGC leader was speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting with Guinean President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who last week dissolved parliament, scheduled legislative sessions early for December 18 and reinstated Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam, and the deputy prime minister, Soares Sambú.
“The tenth legislature is over. Let’s prepare the 11th and therefore we have to be present in this preparation, there will be elections and we have to be present and the Government prepares all this”, added Manuel do Santos.
Asked if the PAIGC imposed conditions for its participation in the Government, Manuel dos Santos said that “that is for later”, referring to further explanations about that integration in the executive of the presidential initiative.
the PAIGC won the legislative elections of March 2019 without an absolute majorityand formed a coalition government with the United People’s Assembly: Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau (APU-PDGB), Union for Change and New Democracy Party.
The APU-PDGB would eventually leave the coalition and join the opposition in supporting the candidacy of Umaro Sissoco Embaló for the presidential elections that took place at the end of 2019.
After his inauguration, Umaro Sissoco Embaló dismissed the PAIGC government and formed another with the Democratic Alternation Movement (Madem-G15), Social Renovation Party (PRS), APU-PDGB, and various movements that supported his candidacy in the second round of the presidential elections.
The PAIGC has harshly criticized the Guinean head of state, accusing him of not respecting the Constitution and the rule of law and interference in internal party affairs.
After the presidential elections, the candidate supported by the party, Domingos Simões Pereira, filed an electoral challenge, which lasted several months.
The PAIGC eventually recognized the election results, but always demanded that the head of state formally take office as president in a ceremony at the National People’s Congress.
Umaro Sissoco Embaló, recognized by the National Elections Commission as the winner of the presidential elections, took office in February 2020, in an act that took place without the presence of the president of parliament. The inauguration was led by the then First Vice President of the National People’s Assembly and current Prime Minister, Nuno Gomes Nabiam.
Speaking Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, the head of state said he wanted a presidential initiative government with the presence of all political parties, especially those represented in the parliament dissolved last week.
Source: Observadora
