Source: European Parliament |

Guinea-Bissau: unconstitutional step by President undermines elections

Declaration by the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on the recent political developments in Guinea-Bissau

BRUSSELS, Belgium, October 31, 2019/APO Group/ --

The Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Carlos Zorrinho (S&D, PT) and Mr Joseph Owona Kono, express their deep concern with the current political developments in Guinea-Bissau and deem the Presidential decree aiming to dismiss Prime-Minister Gomes and his Government as unconstitutional and therefore illegal.

They believe that such a move weakens the efforts put in place for elections and the programme that has been approved by the national Parliament with support from both regional and international partners, notably proven by the ECOWAS statement on the matter on 29 October 2019.

They call for the presidential elections foreseen on November 24th to be pursued and for all necessary measures to be taken to ensure stability and peace in the run-up to the elections and to allow for free, fair and transparent elections. They call on all actors to respect and promote the electoral process and not to take any actions that risk undermining it.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Parliament.