Gambiaj.com – (BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau) – The PAI-Terra Ranka coalition and the Inclusive Patriotic Alliance (API) – Cabas Garandi have called on employees of public and private institutions in Guinea-Bissau to stay home on Friday, February 28, in protest against what they describe as “dictatorship and torture” in the country.

The announcement, delivered by Gabriel Yé, the Communication and Marketing official of the Party for Social Renewal (PRS), has been circulating on Guinean radio stations and social media platforms.

Under the banner of a “Joint Action to Rescue Democracy and Uphold the Constitution,” the opposition is also urging the suspension of public transportation and market activities on the day of the protest.

“Guineans, on February 28, let us all stay at home. Let us refuse to go to work as a form of protest against dictatorship and torture, as well as the deteriorating conditions in the health and education sectors and the rising cost of essential goods,” the statement reads.

ECOWAS Mediation Mission Accused of Bias

The PAI-Terra Ranka electoral coalition has refused to meet with the high-level mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), currently in Bissau to mediate the country’s political crisis and seek a consensus on the timeline for legislative and presidential elections.

In a letter dated February 24 and signed by Interim Coordinator Antonio Samba Balde, the coalition, which won the June 4, 2023 legislative elections, justified its rejection by citing the exclusion of two key political parties with parliamentary representation—Braima Camara’s Movement for Democratic Alternation (MADEM-G15) and Fernando Dias da Costa’s Social Renewal Party (PRS)—from ECOWAS’ consultations.

Another point of contention raised by the coalition, led by National People’s Assembly (ANP) President Domingos Simões Pereira, concerns the “usurpation” of parliamentary functions by Second Vice-President Satu Camara Pinto. Simões Pereira accused ECOWAS of legitimizing what he described as a “power grab” by engaging with those he calls “institutional coup plotters.”

ECOWAS officials arrived in Bissau this week amid growing tensions over the electoral timeline. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló has announced elections for November 30, a move the opposition opposes, demanding elections be held in May instead. Embaló’s five-year term is set to conclude on February 27, and opposition groups argue that after this date, constitutional authority shifts entirely to the National Assembly.

The United People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau (APU–PDGB), led by former Prime Minister Nuno Nabiam, has also boycotted the ECOWAS meetings. The party accused the mission of undermining the role of Parliament, which it insists is the only legitimate sovereign authority after February 27. Like PAI-Terra Ranka, APU–PDGB also criticized ECOWAS for excluding MADEM-G15 and PRS, despite their substantial parliamentary representation.

The ECOWAS delegation is expected to remain in Bissau until Friday, as the country approaches a critical political juncture. Meanwhile, tensions remain high, with opposition groups pushing for an earlier election date and some calling for Embaló’s immediate replacement after February 27.