Guinea-Bissau votes in presidential runoff to end turmoil

BISSAU: Voters in Guinea-Bissau cast their ballots in a presidential runoff Sunday with the hope of ending months of political turmoil in the coup-prone West African state that is one of the world´s poorest nations.

Some 700,000 registered voters have a choice between two former prime ministers — Domingos Simoes Pereira, from the traditional ruling PAIGC party, and opposition figure Umaro Sissoco Embalo. Both are promising a better economic future in a country wracked by poverty, instability and corruption. Incumbent Jose Mario Vaz crashed out of the race in the first round in November — becoming the first elected president in 25 years to reach the end of his mandate without being ousted or dying in office, in a country where the military has loomed large in politics.

Polling stations, often set up in the open air, opened at 0700 GMT. “This is the most important day. We want everything to go well,” said Dominique Zale, a security guard and father-of-six who spoke to AFP at a polling station near the port in the capital Bissau, where voters started lining up before dawn.