Guinea-Bissau’s prime minister, Aristides Gomes, called on Wednesday for people to act responsibly during the electoral process, and on partisan institutions to work together for stability after the 10 March elections.
“We call on the civic responsibility of everyone in this process, with the political-partisan institutions collaborating to stabilise the government after the elections,” Gomes said.
The prime minister was speaking at the formal presentation by the government of New Year’s greetings to the country’s president, José Mário Vaz.
According to Gomes, stable government only possible if there is a stability pact between “the country’s main actors”. Such an agreement is, he said, “already being prepared in the framework of the organising committee of the planned conference on Paths to Peace and Development.
A stability pact, comprising a national commitment to the political, economic and social stability of Guinea-Bissau, is foreseen in the Conakry and Lomé agreements to which all the main parties are signed up.
In his brief speech, the prime minister also stressed that preparations for the legislative elections had reached “cruising speed” and that more than 95% of projected voters had been registered.
The president received New Year’s greetings from the legislature, justice authorities, military leadership, civil society, religious leaders and representatives of culture and sport.
