Guinea-Bissau: Legislative elections to be postponed again /update 2

Event

Deadlines for voter registration initially set for October 20 have been postponed, for the second time, to December 5. As such, legislative elections scheduled to take place on November 18 will be postponed to a currently undetermined date, likely in 2019. The decision was made to allow more voters to take part in the elections. Related protests to denounce the delay are possible in the coming days.

Context

Guinea-Bissau has experienced a period of political uncertainty since August 2015, when President José Mario Vaz dismissed Prime Minister Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader of the president's own African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). Vaz and his government have since suffered increasing unpopularity.

On April 16, 2018, the president appointed a new prime minister, Aristides Gomes (the seventh since August 2015), who formed a consensus government in order to organize the legislative elections.

Advice

Individuals in Guinea-Bissau, particularly the capital Bissau, are advised to monitor the situation, avoid all demonstrations and protests due to the risk of violence, and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities.