Guinea Bissau, 10th March 2019: Voting has begun in Guinea Bissau on Sunday, 10th of March 2019, where voters are expected to renew the 102 seats in the opposition-dominated National Assembly, with 15 deputies for the movement for alternation and democracy (Madem) and 41 deputies for the Party for Social Renewal (PRS).
The voting of More than 700,000 registered voters took place on the same day of 10th March at 3,000 polling stations in the 9 regions across the country. The party that wins on Sunday should appoint the future prime minister.
The Head of the Mission witnessed the starting and the closing of the vote counting. The AUEOM observers who were deployed across provinces of the country also witnessed the opening and closing processes in the polling stations and observe the voting process in the polling stations across the country and checking on weather the election are freely conducted. Final results are expected to be announced on March 18th 2019.
The findings of the observers will contribute to the African Union’s preliminary report on the elections, and is expected to present its preliminary statement at a press conference, at Ledger Hotel on the 12th of March 2019 at 05:00 pm.
Following the invitation of Guenea Bissau National Electoral Commission, H. E Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission authorized the deployment of an AU elections observation mission in the Republic of Gunea Bissau. Headed by H.E. Mr.Joaquim Rafael Branco, former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tomé is in Guinea Bissau since 1st of March 2019 and will remain in the country until the 16th of March 2019. Its mission is mainly to provide an accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the Legislative Elections, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards. The AUEOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments, including (a) the African Union Guidelines for Electoral Observation and Monitoring Missions (2002); (b) the OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002); African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (1981) and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), among others.
The AUEOM Secretariat is located at Leger hotel in guinea Bissau and can be contacted through: Ms.Karine Kakasi Siaba | Email: Kakasik@africa-union.org /Political Officer, Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit (DEAU) /Political Affairs Department – African union Commission.
For media enquiries and interview requests;
Ms. Afrah Thabit| / Directorate of Information and Communication / African union Commission/ Email :Thabitma@africa-union.org Cell: 956376055
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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35784-pr-guinea_bissau_votes_in_the_2019_legislative_elections_.pdf