Guinea-Bissau: Commission confirms Embalo as president

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Guinea-Bissau’s national electoral commission on Wednesday confirmed former Prime Minister Umaro Cissoko Embalo as winner of a December presidential run-off vote.

The confirmation comes more than a week after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the ruling party candidate, Domingos Simoes Pereira, who had challenged the result in court with fraud allegations.

Opposition candidate Embalo won the December run-off ballot with 54% of the vote while Pereira garnered 46%, according to the final results released by the commission.

“The Supreme Court ruling has been scrupulously followed,” the commission said in a statement, adding “all that remains to do is follow the swearing-in procedure.”

During the campaign period, several opposition figures had rallied behind Embalo, 47.

He also got the backing of outgoing president Jose Mario Vaz, who won 12.41% of vote in the first round.

Embalo belongs to Madem, an opposition party formed by PAIGC rebels.

Vaz is the first president of Guinea-Bissau in 25 years to have finished his term without being ousted in a military coup.

Pereira is also a former prime minister.

Guinea-Bissau witnessed multiple coup attempts since independence from Portugal in 1973, four of which were successful.