Guinea Bissau’s President, Umaro Embalo, has withdrawn from the November presidential election, promising to allow electorate determine the country’s next leader.
Embalo, who was seeking re-election for a second term, stated that the decision was taken after due consultations from family, especially his wife.
The 51-years-old president announced his decision on Thursday after a council of ministers meeting held at the Presidential Villa.
According to him, his wife had persuaded him not to run again and had decided to yield the call.
Embalo, who was elected president in January 2020 for a four-year term defeating runner-up, Domingos Pereira, with 54 percent of the vote, succeeded former president, Jose Vaz.
The preside’s decision, as gathered, came as surprise to millions of his supporters, who had been campaigning for Embalo’s re-election.
The unexpected announcement could trigger a power vacuum and heighten political instability in the coup-prone country of around two million people.
He maintained that his successor would not be Pereira nor two other opposition politicians, Braima Camara and Nuno Gomes Na Bian, without elaborating further or naming a successor.
Notably, Embalo’s presidency has been marked by challenges and controversies.
Embalo, who is an ex-army general, served as prime minister under Vaz, before assuming the leadership seat.
After assuming office, the president inherited a long-running political impasse in a country where coups and unrest have been common since independence from Portugal in 1974.
According to him, there were two attempts to overthrow him during his presidency, the latest in December 2023.
He dissolved parliament days later for the second time since he came to power.
During a legislative election in May 2022, voters rejected Embalo’s proposed constitutional change, blocking his attempt to consolidate power by eliminating the semi-presidential system, which came after his initial dissolution of parliament.
Under the country’s current political system, the majority party or coalition appoints the government.
However, the president has the power to dismiss it in certain circumstances, often leading to political deadlock and turmoil.
