Opposition leader Umaro Sissoco Embalo wins presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau

Opposition leader Umaro Sissoco Embalo has won presidential elections in West African state of Guinea-Bissau.

The Guinea National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced on Wednesday that Umaro Sissoco picked up 53.55 percent of votes, while his rival Domingos Simoes Pereira, head of the country’s historic ruling party PAIGC, took 46.45 percent in Sunday’s runoff.

“I declare Umaro Sissoco Embalo to be the winner of this second round,” CNE President Jose Pedro Sambu said.

Embalo takes over from Jose Mario Vaz, who came to power in 2014 on hopes of stabilising a country notorious for coups and assassinations since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.

But his tenure was hampered by a paralysing face-off with parliament under the country’s semi-presidential political system.

The CNE put turnout at 72.67 percent, virtually identical to the first round of voting on November 24, which Pereira won with 40.1 percent against 28 percent for Embalo.

AFP