Gambiaj.com – (BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau) – Two of Guinea-Bissau’s leading opposition figures, Domingos Simões Pereira and Fernando Dias, have firmly rejected an offer by the military authorities to join a transitional government, warning that participation would legitimize the November 26 coup and serve only to “whitewash” the image of the putschists.
The refusal comes just days after both men regained their freedom following months of pressure in the wake of the military takeover. Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), spent more than two months in detention and remains under house arrest, while Fernando Dias sought refuge at the Nigerian embassy and is now subject to restrictions, including a ban on public speech.
According to the proposal relayed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the military authorities offered the PAIGC and Dias’s political grouping three ministerial posts and ten seats on the National Transitional Council (CNT).
ECOWAS described the release of the two opponents and the offer of positions as steps toward a “return to constitutional order.”
But both leaders say the offer is unacceptable.
“We will not sully our names,” Fernando Dias told RFI, insisting that accepting the posts would amount to endorsing the overthrow of the previous government. He added that the number of positions offered was “unequal” and insufficient to confer any real political influence.
Dias also said neither he nor Pereira was approached directly by the military authorities and that they learned of the proposal through an ECOWAS press release.
This account was echoed by a member of the prime minister’s office, who acknowledged that the junta was primarily responding to ECOWAS demands for political “openness,” rather than engaging in direct negotiations with opposition leaders.
Despite rejecting the offer, Dias said he had agreed to ECOWAS’s request to remain discreet in order not to “aggravate the situation,” hoping this restraint could help secure the full release of Pereira, who remains under house arrest without a warrant and under the watch of armed guards.
Junta Moves to Set New Rules for Political Parties
Meanwhile, the military-led transition has moved ahead with sweeping institutional changes. The National Transitional Council has begun deliberations on revising Guinea-Bissau’s framework law governing political parties, signaling an effort to reshape the country’s political landscape during the transition.
The debate follows the CNT’s recent approval of a new constitution that significantly expands presidential powers—a move critics argue concentrates authority in the executive at a sensitive moment in the transition. The constitution is expected to be promulgated in the coming weeks.
CNT officials have described the proposed political party reforms as foundational, aimed at ensuring pluralism, legality, and orderly democratic competition.
The draft decree would introduce stricter criteria for the creation, financing, and operation of political parties, with the stated goal of preventing excessive fragmentation and promoting governmental stability.
International partners, including ECOWAS, have repeatedly urged inclusive dialogue and transparent reforms to avoid undermining democratic institutions.
However, many existing political actors fear the proposed regulations could marginalize opposition voices, concerns sharpened by Pereira and Dias’s refusal to join a transition they say lacks legitimacy.
As Guinea-Bissau enters the next phase of its political transition, the standoff between the junta and key opposition leaders, alongside the CNT’s push to overhaul party laws, is likely to shape the country’s political trajectory for years to come.
