2025 Guinea-Bissau general election
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General elections were held in Guinea-Bissau on 23 November 2025 to elect the president and members of the National People's Assembly.[1] Separate parliamentary and presidential elections were planned. Parliamentary elections had been scheduled for 24 November 2024 after President Umaro Sissoco Embaló dissolved the opposition-controlled parliament on 4 December 2023 following the 2023 Guinea-Bissau coup attempt.[2] However, Embaló postponed the parliamentary elections in early November 2024.[3] Presidential elections had been scheduled for December 2024.[4][5] They were later also postponed and Embaló's term ended on 27 February 2025. However, he remained in power and ran for re-election in late 2025. The opposition and civil society called it an "institutional coup".[6]
Following the election, both Embaló and Fernando Dias, who had been endorsed by the main opposition party PAIGC, claimed victory in the presidential vote. However on 26 November, a coup d'état occurred a day before the official results were expected to be released, resulting in Embaló's arrest and the formation of the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order by the country's military. On 2 December, the National Electoral Commission announced the destruction of most of the election tallies by armed men, leaving it unable to release the results of the vote. However, Correio da Manhã obtained the minutes with the results, showing Dias had received around 10,000 more votes than Embaló.
Background
In 2019, Umaro Sissoco Embaló won the presidential election runoff vote against Domingos Simões Pereira, 54% to 46%. Simões Pereira disputed the results.[7] Although neither the Supreme Court of Guinea-Bissau nor the parliament had given its approval for the official swearing-in ceremony, Embaló organized an alternative swearing-in ceremony in a hotel in Bissau to announce himself as legal president of Guinea-Bissau.[8] Several politicians in Guinea-Bissau, including Prime Minister Aristides Gomes, accused Embaló of arranging a coup d'état, although the outgoing President Vaz stepped down to allow Embaló to take power.[9]
In 2022, Embaló dissolved parliament, leading to an opposition victory in the 2023 parliamentary elections.[10] Embaló dissolved parliament again on 4 December 2023, claiming an "attempted coup" had prevented him from returning home from COP28 climate conference.[2] In response to the dissolution, Parliamentary Speaker Domingos Simões Pereira accused the president of carrying out a "constitutional coup d'état."[11] Incumbent president Embaló would go on to fire Prime Minister Geraldo Martins, who was appointed by the PAIGC-led National Assembly and instead appointed Rui Duarte de Barros by presidential decree.[12]
Embaló, who is eligible to run for a second term,[13] has given contradictory signs about his intentions. In September 2024, after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, he announced that he decided not to run after a conversation with his wife,[14] but in November 2024, he stated his intention to remain as president "for many years", beyond 2030.[15]
On 23 February 2025, Embaló set the date of the presidential and legislative elections on 30 November 2025. At the same time, disputes arose over when his term as president would end, as opposition groups said his term expires on 27 February 2025, while the Supreme Court ruled that it expires on 4 September 2025.[16] On 3 March, Embaló announced that he would run again for president in the election.[17] On 7 March, Embaló moved the date of the elections to the 23 November 2025.[18]
On 7 August 2025, Embaló dismissed Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros (a PAIGC member of Parliament) and appointed Braima Camará, a member of the Madem G15, with the explicit mission of organizing the elections. Although Camará had once strongly criticized Embaló and signed an agreement with Domingos Simões Pereira to "save democracy and the rule of law", rumors of his reconciliation with the president had circulated since July 2025.[19]
Electoral system
The president is elected using the two-round system.[20] Article 33 of Guinea-Bissau's Electoral Law prohibits the publishing of any opinion polls.[21]
The 102 members of the National People's Assembly are elected by two methods. 100 by closed list proportional representation from 27 multi-member constituencies and two from single-member constituencies representing expatriate citizens in Africa and Europe.[22]
Issues
 | This section needs to be updated. (November 2025) |
Various opposition parties have criticized incumbent president Embaló, accusing him of authoritarianism and wanting to establish a dictatorship.[3] Beyond the outcome of the elections, the broader narrative in Guinea-Bissau in 2024 will revolve around the imperative of establishing and maintaining momentum for a stable system of governance. Central to this narrative will be the efforts to fortify institutional frameworks that serve as guardrails against the abuse of power.[23]
According to observers, the conditions for elections have not been met due to organisational challenges. One major issue is the expiration of the terms of the commission members responsible for overseeing elections. Typically, these members would be appointed by parliament, however, since the parliament has been dissolved, there is no entity in place to facilitate the appointment of new commission members.[12]
On 25 September 2025, the Supreme Court of Guinea-Bissau disqualified the opposition Pai Terra Ranka coalition from contesting the election after it failed to submit a list of candidates 72 hours before the deadline of candidate registration on 25 September.[24]
On 14 October 2025, the Supreme Court disqualified former Prime Minister and Speaker of the National People's Assembly, Domingos Simões Pereira, who had returned from a nine-month exile, from running. This made the election the first since independence in which the PAIGC was not represented.[25]
Presidential candidacies
The final list of candidates for President of Guinea-Bissau is as follows.[26][27] The positions on the ballot were drawn by the National Elections Commission (CNE) on 21 October.
| Candidate | Supporting Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | José Mário Vaz | National Convergence for Freedom and Development | COLIDE–GB |
| 2 | Mamadú Iaia Djaló | Alliance for the Republic | APR |
| 3 | Herculano Armando Bequinsa | Democratic Renewal Party | PRD |
| 4 | Fernando Dias[a] | Inclusive Alliance Platform – Terra Ranka[b] | PAI–Terra Ranka |
| 5 | João de Deus Mendes | Guinea-Bissau Workers' Party | PT |
| 6 | Honorio Augusto Lopes | Front of the Struggle for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau | FLING |
| 7 | João Bernardo Vieira | African Party for Freedom and Development of Guinea | PALDG |
| 8 | Gabriel Fernando Indi | United Social Democratic Party | PUSD |
| 9 | Mario da Silva Junior | Civic Organization for Democracy – Renewed Hope | OCD–ER |
| 10 | Baciro Djá | Patriotic Front for National Salvation | FREPASNA |
| 11 | Umaro Sissoco Embaló | Republican Platform "Nô Kumpu Guiné"[c] | PRNKG |
| 12 | Sigá Baptista[d] | Independent | |
Legislative candidates
The final list of parties taking part in the elections to the National People's Assembly is as follows.[30] Since the presidential and legislative elections are separate, some parties are participating in one election, but not the other.
| Placement | Party | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Social Democratic Party | PUSD |
| 2 | Patriotic Front for National Salvation | FREPASNA |
| 3 | National Unity Movement for the Development of Guinea-Bissau | MUNDO GB |
| 4 | Party for Solution | PS |
| 5 | Socialist Workers' Party of Guinea-Bissau | PSTGB |
| 6 | Party for Social Renewal | PRS |
| 7 | African Party for Freedom and Development of Guinea | PALDG |
| 8 | Front of the Struggle for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau | FLING |
| 9 | Republican Platform "Nô Kumpu Guiné"[e] | PRNKG |
| 10 | Lanta Cedo Party | PLC |
| 11 | Social Democratic Movement | MSD |
| 12 | Guinea-Bissau Workers' Party | PT |
| 13 | People's Party | PdP |
| 14 | Civic Organization for Democracy – Renewed Hope | OCD–ER |
Conduct
More than 6,780 security personnel, including units of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, were deployed to maintain order during and after the election.[31] More than 200 observers monitored the conduct of the election, including representatives of ECOWAS, the African Union and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.[32] On 25 November, the head of the ECOWAS observer mission, Issifu Baba Braimah Kamara, said the election had been conducted peacefully.[33]
Results
Both Embaló and Fernando Dias claimed victory in the presidential election on 24 November, despite official results not having been released yet. [32] A member of the West African observation team said Embaló had lost the election.[34]
On 26 November, a day before the release of official results, gunfire was heard outside the presidential palace in Bissau and the National Electoral Commission, with Embaló saying that he had been arrested as part of a coup d'état carried out by Head of the Military Office of the Presidency, Brigadier General Dinis Incanha. The military subsequently declared "total control" over the country and established the High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order.[33][35] Dias was also initially reported to have been arrested, but later released a video saying that he had escaped and vowed to resist the coup. He was later given asylum at the Nigerian embassy. On 27 November, the High Military Command proclaimed army chief of staff General Horta Inta-A Na Man as head of a military government that would oversee a one-year transition period.[36][37] Later that day, Embalo was released and went into exile in Senegal following negotiations by the Senegalese government.[38] Embalo was subsequently accused by several opposition and international figures, including former Nigerian president and election monitor Goodluck Jonathan, of staging the coup to avoid losing the election.[39][40][41]
On 29 November, protests were held in Bissau calling for the release of the election results, while three civil society groups called for a general strike and a civil disobedience campaign in order to restore "electoral truth".[42]
On 2 December, the CNE said it was unable to publish the election results after armed men wearing balaclavas confiscated computers from 45 staff and destroyed all tally sheets except for those from Bissau and the main computer server storing the results.[43][42][44] However, some media outlets published the minutes with the election results:[45]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Dias | Party for Social Renewal | 278,846 | 49.43 | |
| Umaro Sissoco Embaló | Madem G15 | 268,516 | 47.60 | |
| José Mário Vaz | National Convergence for Freedom and Development | 5,506 | 0.98 | |
| Baciro Djá | Patriotic Front of National Salvation | 3,695 | 0.65 | |
| Herculano Armando Bequinsa | Democratic Renewal Party | 1,745 | 0.31 | |
| Mamadú Iaia Djaló | Alliance for the Republic | 1,602 | 0.28 | |
| Mario da Silva Junior | Civic Organization for Democracy – Renewed Hope | 1,042 | 0.18 | |
| João de Deus Mendes | Workers' Party | 923 | 0.16 | |
| Sigá Baptista | Independent | 713 | 0.13 | |
| João Bernardo Vieira II | African Party for Freedom and Development of Guinea | 673 | 0.12 | |
| Honorio Augusto Lopes | Front of the Struggle for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau | 528 | 0.09 | |
| Gabriel Fernando Indi | United Social Democratic Party | 379 | 0.07 | |
| Total | 564,168 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 564,168 | 96.03 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 23,302 | 3.97 | ||
| Total votes | 587,470 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 967,392 | 60.73 | ||
| Source: [45] | ||||
Notes
- ^ Dias is officially running as an independent, but was endorsed by the PAI–Terra Ranka alliance following the exclusion of their candidate Domingos Simões Pereira by the Supreme Court of Justice of Guinea-Bissau[28]
- ^ Coalition consisting of PAIGC, UM, PCD, MDG and PSD
- ^ Coalition consisting of Madem G15, PRS, PTG, PND, MP, PRID and PRP
- ^ Although his name will be on the ballot, Baptista has withdrawn and endorsed Fernando Dias[29]
- ^ Coalition consisting of Madem G15, PRS, PTG, PND, MP, PRID and PRP
References
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau to hold presidential and legislative vote on November 23". Reuters.
- ^ a b "Guinea-Bissau's president dissolves parliament after 'attempted coup'". France 24. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Presidente da Guiné-Bissau marca legislativas antecipadas para 24 de novembro". RTP (in Portuguese). 16 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau: December 2024 Elections". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "2024 Guinea Bissau Presidential Election". National Democratic Institute. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau in institutional crisis as president stays". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
- ^ "Guinea Bissau ex-PM Embalo declared winner of runoff". AfricaNews. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Umaro Sissoco Embalo swears himself in as Guinea-Bissau president". BusinessLIVE. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Em meio a contencioso judicial, Sissoco toma "posse simbólica" como Presidente da Guiné-Bissau". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau's president issues a decree dissolving the opposition-controlled parliament". AP News. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau: President dissolves parliament after coup bid". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Guinea-Bissau opposition fears 'dictatorship'". Deutsche Welle. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 21 February 2024, retrieved 26 March 2024
- ^ Cassamá, Lassana. "Sissoco Embaló diz que não se recandidata". VOA Português. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ "Umaro Sissoco Embalo diz que vai ficar na presidência "por muitos anos". RFI. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
- ^ "Tensions rise in Guinea-Bissau over president's mandate expiration date". Africanews. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau president says he will run for a second term amid political turmoil". AP News. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Guiné-Bissau: Eleições presidenciais e legislativas a 23 de novembro". Voice of America (in Portuguese). 7 March 2025. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ^ "Braima Camará nomeado primeiro-ministro da Guiné-Bissau – DW – 07/08/2025". dw.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ^ Electoral system IPU
- ^ "Holding of Elections Brings Guinea Bissau Closer to Constitutional Normalcy" (PDF). European Union Election Observation Mission. 14 April 2014.
- ^ Electoral system IPU
- ^ Candace Cook; Joseph Siegle. "Africa's 2024 Elections: Challenges and Opportunities to Regain Democratic Momentum". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau: Supreme Court bars main opposition coalition from legislative vote". Africanews. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ Ampa, Aguinaldo (14 October 2025). "DOMINGOS SIMÕES PEREIRA E PAI TERRA RANKA DEFINITIVAMENTE FORA DAS ELEIÇÕES DE 23 DE NOVEMBRO" (in Portuguese).
- ^ Lusa (14 November 2025). "Presidential elections with 12 candidates and legislative elections with 14 in Guinea-Bissau's fourth general elections". Portugal: RTP Noticias. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ^ Mídia da África on Facebook
- ^ PAIGC 2023 on Facebook
- ^ @Siga Batista; (9 November 2025). "Vote for Guinea-Bissau, vote for democracy". Retrieved 16 November 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ Mídia da África on Facebook
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau military claims to have seized power after disputed vote". RFI. 26 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Guinea-Bissau rivals Embalo, Dias claim win in presidential election". Al Jazeera. 25 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Gunfire heard near Guinea-Bissau presidential palace as provisional election results expected". France 24. 26 November 2025.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/world/africa/guinea-bissau-coup.html
- ^ "Coup in Guinea-Bissau. Embaló arrested". The Africa Report. 26 November 2025.
- ^ "General Horta N'Tam sworn in as Guinea-Bissau transitional leader following coup". France 24. 27 November 2025.
- ^ "A West African bloc delegation says talks with Guinea-Bissau coup leaders will continue". AP News. 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau's deposed President Embalo arrives in Senegal after coup". Al Jazeera. 27 November 2025.
- ^ "Was it coup or was it a 'sham'? Behind Guinea-Bissau's military takeover". BBC. 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau's latest coup sparks allegations of a staged takeover. Here's what to know". AP News. 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau appear on state television saying they have seized power in the country". AP News. 26 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Was it coup or was it a 'sham'? Behind Guinea-Bissau's military takeover". BBC. 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau electoral commission says armed men destroyed election ballots". France 24. 2 December 2025.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau's electoral commission says coup destroyed election results". Al Jazeera. 2 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Atas confirmam vitória de Fernando Dias da Costa nas presidenciais da Guiné-Bissau". Correio da Manhã. 4 December 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
