Guinea-Bissau
Parliament prepares exit of Guinea-Bissau government

afrol News, 22 April - The Parliament of Guinea-Bissau is set for an extraordinary session on 30 April to vote on a motion of censure to the government of independent Prime Minister Faustino Imbali. His recently appointed government does not enjoy a parliamentary majority basis.

Jorge Malu, President of the Bissau Parliament and leader of the government Party of Social Restoration (PRS), however told the Portuguese news agency Lusa yesterday that there would be no room for a motion of censure at the extraordinary session, which had been initiated by the majority opposition. The session would "only permit the discussion of previously planned topics," Malu claimed, being an "urgent debate over the stability of the government and the parliamentary dialogue."

At the beginning of April, the opposition however had formally requested an extraordinary parliamentary session, accompanied with an immediate motion of censure against the Guinea-Bissauan government. This came only one week after Imbali had formed his new government on 30 March, after his appointment by President Kumba Yala.

The opposition expected the debate to start immediately, but constitutional requirements and formal errors prevented the quick fall of Imbali's government. Leaders of the opposition parties instead formed a permanent parliamentary commission for a motion of censure, which now has succeeded in pressing an extraordinary session on 30 April on the agenda. The session is to debate over "the stability of the government and the parliamentary dialogue," but the opposition maintains it is entitled to ask Faustino Imbali's government to step down during this debate.

There seems to be a broad majority in parliament to ask the government to step down. The party holding the majority of government offices, the Party of Social Restoration (PRS), only counts on 38 of the 102 Members of Parliament. Even with the government ministers from the opposition and the three MPs from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) supporting the government, it is far from reaching 50 percent of the parliamentary votes.

Domingos Lourenço Fernandes, leader of the biggest opposition party, the Guinea-Bissau Resistance (RGB), maintains that the a motion of censure will be presented on 30 April, as turning back now "would be a political suicide." The RGB represents 29 of the 102 Members of Parliament. 

According to the opposition, Prime Minister Imbali, 45 years old and a trained sociologist not belonging to any political party, does not have the right profile, or sufficient political experience to take charge of the important office of the PM at this time of crisis experienced in Guinea-Bissau. 

President Kumba Yala in March had announced the establishment of a new government in Guinea-Bissau to replace that of Caetano Intchama. On 21 March, Yala appointed Imbali to the post of Prime Minister. Imbali on 26 March named a team of 14 ministers and eight state secretaries, and promised to concentrate on resolving the political instability in the country. Imbali is heading the fourth government in Guinea-Bissau in the last 13 months.

The political instability in Guinea-Bissau, which is only slowly recovering from civil war and a military dictatorship, is seen as the main hinder to social and economic development in the poverty struck country. The International Monetary Foundation (IMF) allegedly demands the establishment of a stable government and the reduction of the armed forces from 25.000 to 4.000 men before it will help financing the reconstruction after the civil war. 

President Yala, which successfully has curbed the military's repeated bid for power, has not managed to embark on a national dialogue within the polarised political landscape. Calls from the UN to seek national unity have mostly been overheard by all parties, and the power struggle seems to be without halt.

Sources: Based on Lusa, RDP and afrol archives

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com