Guinea-BissauParliamentary Election 2008: Stability / Continuity: Election Day 2008

Election day has come and gone in

Guinea-Bissau

and with initial vote counting completed, the Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) has once again won a decisive victory. Eighty-two percent of Guineans participated in the 16 November elections, awarding 67 seats to the PAIGC, 28 to the Party for Social Renewal (PRS), and three to the Republican Party for Independence and Development (PRID). The National Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance each took one seat.

Voter turnout in the past elections in Guinea-Bissau has been very high, and this year was no exception. Vladimir Monteiro a spokesmen for the United Nations office in Guinea-Bissau calculated that the turnout in this parliamentary election was about 75 to 80 percent. Monteiro also expressed pleasure in the presence of the many women that both voted and helped oversee the election process.

Calling the electoral process a “victory for democracy” a special envoy of the United Nations was impressed with what they saw. International observers were out in force for the election; in total more than 150 United Nations observers oversaw the election process. No major problems were reported from any of the U.N. participants and all indications are that they are confident that the outcome will truly reflect the will of the people.

Another international group with a vested interest in the election was the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). A total of 45 election observers from ECOWAS not only observed the voting but the opening and closing of the polls and are today observing the counting process. Theses agents were deployed in many of the polling stations around the country and were pleased with the following aspects:

1. Election Commissions were prepared to hold the election

2. Voter turnout was high

3. Voters were in good spirits

4. Election officials adequately knew the rules and the processes

5. There was a calmness felt amongst the voters

6. The process was smooth

7. The voting was without hindrance.

Surprisingly, ECOWAS had only two minor complaints:

1. Election material arriving late to Bissora

2. A low supply of indelible ink at polling stations.

These minors occurrences had little to no affect on the well run election process and seemingly had no affect on the outcome of the election.

In the 2004 parliamentary election cycle, the PAIGC won a plurality of 45 seats. In last Sunday’s election the former party of now independent (in-name-only) President Vieira won a clear majority in the legislative body. Leader of the PAIGC, Carlos Gomez Jr. was returned to the post of Prime Minister. In the past parliamentary session in Guinea-Bissau the PAIGC had to maintain and lead coalitions to enact policy directives. But now, with 67 seats, the Prime Minister position, and a friendly executive branch, very little short of mass public unrest stands in the party’s way. In a country whose political history is rife with turmoil, such an outcome raises the question: why did the electorate give one party such free reign over the political process?

“Aida, a 21-year-old student who voted for the first time, said: ‘We are tired of the politicians quarrelling. We want water, we want electricity…we just want to be normal’” (IRIN Africa). Wanting to be normal in this situation is wanting a stable government, regardless of freedoms. We are somewhat wary of such a decisive victory in Guinea-Bissau due to the nation’s history of dictatorial rule, and in this case it seems that the nation is veering dangerously close to utter domination of one party, which forces us to ask: What of the rights of the minority?

It is important to reiterate here that the PAIGC has by no means been a minor party; this election was not a vote for change, as seen elsewhere in the world. As discussed in last weeks update, the myriad connections between the PAIGC and the State stretch back to praises for the party in the country’s constitution. The Guinean electorate has strengthened this association, buying the PAIGC package wholesale. Given the party’s long history of internal quarreling, it is unclear whether the PAIGC will be able to deliver on the needs of the people. But in this tiny nation torn apart by military coups, cholera outbreaks, and narcotics trafficking, the PAIGC appears the only institution resilient enough to whether the storm.

And with that thought: Here is picture of President "Nino" Vieira on election day. Enjoy.