Guinea-Bissau does not find a way out of the political crisis. At the weekend, the West had to intervene once African economic community ECOWAS mediator.
Pretty best enemies: President José Mário Vaz (left) and Domingos Simões Pereira (Chairman of the PAIGC)
“What has been happening for years in Guinea-Bissau, is a shame for the people: A half-dozen people playing this game for years, a whole country into Chaos,” summarizes Luis Barbosa Vicente, policy Analyst from Guinea-Bissau, the situation in his homeland. The crisis is continuing now for five years and run the risk to escalate. Guinea-Bissau’s something of a powder keg, so Vicente in an interview with DW.
In fact, the country is at a standstill: The most important political actors in the country are divided and are blocking each other; the state has abandoned its most basic tasks practically. Many schools and universities are closed, the justice system is the de facto collapses, the public health system is on the ground.
Private feuds and political machinations
The protagonists of the political Conflict: On the one hand, President José Mário Vaz, called Jomav, on the other hand, the majority of Parliament with two strong men: Domingos Simões Pereira, Chairman of the largest party, PAIGC, and the Parliament President Cipriano Kassamá, also of PAIGC.
Guinea-Bissau’s chaos is for five years, in Duration, to the chagrin of the average citizen
President Jomav, who was elected five years ago, directly from the people, belongs to the PAIGC. However, he is at odds with the party leadership for years and has persistently refused to appoint his opponent Pereira to the head of government. Observers speak of serious discord on a private level, but also significant political differences. A consistent government policy was not able to come about since Jomavs choice, because the Parliament refused him the cooperation.
Parliamentary elections brought no solution
In the parliamentary elections on 10. March 2019 was able to secure the PAIGC in a coalition with three smaller parties, a majority of 54 of the 102 seats in the new Parliament. A clear mandate from the electorate for the formation of a government under the PAIGC Chairman Pereira, the political observers. President Jomav, however, refused to appoint Pereira to the head of government. Instead, he commissioned the 22.06.2019 Aristides Gomes, he had already been appointed in April, 2018 to the Prime Minister, again with the formation of a government.
Aristides Gomes (left) was on 22. 06. In 2019 President José Mário Vaz (right) to the Prime Minister, appointed
A day later, Jomavs President’s term of office expired after five years tenure officially. A assigns Jomavs from the political stage was not connected, however: Only at 24. November should be called the citizens to the polls to elect a new President. Until then, he would remain in Power, to run for a further five-year term as President, so Jomavs calculus.
Jomav is still the legitimate President?
The not want to in turn accept the Parliament: The majority of deputies summed up in the last week (26. 06. 2019) the decision to dismiss the President of the office. Until the election of a new head of state Parliament President Cipriano Kassamá should assume the office of President on an interim basis, the Plan of members – a decision that Jomav not accepted and with an “institutional coup” equated.
“Most of the constitutional lawyers are at the Moment not sure who has this conflict is really the law on his side. I believe that only the Supreme courts are authorized to settle this,” says Analyst Vicente. The fact is: These questions should clarify the people in Guinea-Bissau itself, on their own courts. Whether they are independent enough, however, is questionable.
ECOWAS supports Jomav and make demands
Despite the internal conflict, and his De Facto dismissal by the Parliament, traveled Jomav last weekend at the ECOWAS summit in Abuja. At the Meeting in Nigeria’s capital, the topic of Guinea-Bissau at the very top of the list. He was still the legitimate leader of his country, said Jomav. He appealed to the heads of government of the Region, to support him.
ECOWAS conference in Abuja, for The duration of the crisis in Guinea-Bissau was on the agenda
The heads of state of the West African economic community agreed that Jomav should stay until the election in the office, but with limited powers. In addition, they decided to have some constraints: for example, the formation of a new government in Guinea-Bissau up to 3 to. July 2019 to be completed. In addition, the current Supreme constitutional court judges should be replaced, its mandate is also on 23. June is expired.
“The solution that we have found in Abuja, is that I, the President of the Republic, up to the elections on may 24. November in the office stay behind and continue to the laws and decrees to sign the will”, stressed Jomav on his return from Abuja. That his powers were limited after the expiry of his mandate, in part, to accept it, of course. Also, the designated Prime Minister Gomes, announced at a press conference that he wanted to accept the decisions of Abuja and implement them.
Top priority: the Intervention of the army to prevent
“The ECOWAS, the AU, the EU, or the community of Portuguese-speaking countries CPLP launch new initiatives for the solution of our internal problems, but the solutions for the crisis in Guinea-Bissau. The politicians got us into this mess and have him clean it up,” says Analyst Vicente. The solutions from the ranks of politics, the judiciary and the civil society would have to come – and not by the military.
Several times in the 45-year-old history of the country had a military coup and the army to Power. Currently, the risk of a military was coup out of Hand, so Vicente. “The military have intervened in the past from a much smaller occasion than it is the case. I call on the military to keep out this time.”
Employees: Fátima Tchuma Camará (Bissau)