Guinea Bissau MPs appeal for fact finding delegation ahead of parliamentary election

Members of Parliament from Guinea Bissau to the 6th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, attending the third Extraordinary Session in Lome Togo, have on Monday, September 30, 2024 appealed to the Community Parliament to send a fact-finding delegation to their Country, ahead of their November 24, 2024, Parliamentary election.  

Incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo dissolved the opposition-controlled Parliament on December 4, 2023, saying an “attempted coup” had prevented him from returning home from COP28 climate conference.

Hon. Califa Seidi, a member of the delegation, before proceedings of the day was brought to an end has on behalf of his colleagues made this special appeal to the Rt. Hon Speaker that a fact-finding mission should be sent to his country to ascertain the political situation there.  

Chairman of the Committee on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe Jr called for a committee meeting last Saturday, September 28, 2024, to help look into some outstanding issues.

Among them included the political situation in Senegal as a result of the dissolution of their National Assembly; with Guinea Bissau facing similar situation.

The Chairman of the Committee further pointed out that the Committee meeting which has its report ready, has not  been programmed for the third Extraordinary Session but can only be taken in November 2024 when the House meets in Abuja Nigeria.  

“The situation in their Country may get worse; if it were on the programme to lay the report, we would have done that. Even the election in Senegal before the Committee lay its report the parliamentary elections in that Country will be over” and added that the situation of Guinea Bissau is critical, 
hence their resolve to talk to the Bureau and see the way forward on the matter, the Chairman of the Committee clarified.