Guinea-Bissau court rejects appeal against presidential vote result

BISSAU: Guinea-Bissau’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the losing candidate in last month´s second round presidential vote, and ordered the final results published, according to a court ruling seen on Sunday.

Opposition leader Umaro Sissoco Embalo won the December ballot with 53.55 percent of the votes, but ruling PAIGC party candidate Domingos Simoes Pereira had challenged the result as full of irregularities.

Neighbouring countries have watched closely for a smooth transition in Guinea-Bissau, which has seen more than a dozen coups, coup plots or attempted military rebellions since independence from Portugal in 1974.

The Supreme Court rejected Pereira’s challenge and authorised electoral authorities to “publish the definitive results”, the ruling said.It did not say when the final results would be published. The National Electoral Council had said Pereira won 46.45 percent of the second round votes.