Guinea-Bissau’s Supreme Court has disqualified the historic African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) and the opposition coalition “Pai Terra Ranka” from contesting the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for November 23.
The court cited the late submission of candidacy documents as the reason for the decision, noting that opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira filed his application after the legal deadline had expired.
Meanwhile, incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who is seeking a second term, was confirmed among the registered presidential candidates.
Pereira recently returned to the country after nine months abroad, claiming to have faced threats, while the political scene in Guinea-Bissau has remained tense since the dissolution of parliament last year.
