Gambiaj.com – (Bissau, Guinea-Bissau) – The presidential and legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau have been rescheduled to take place on November 23, 2025, reversing an earlier announcement by President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who had initially set the date for November 30. The change was confirmed on Friday, March 7, by the president’s political counselor, Delfim da Silva, following consultations with the government and political parties. A presidential decree formalizing the new date is expected to be published the same day.

The President of Guinea-Bissau met this morning with various political forces, excluding the PAI-Terra Ranka and API opposition coalitions. These groups were not represented as they consider Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s mandate to have expired on February 27, thereby questioning his legitimacy to convene meetings with political parties.

At the end of the meeting, the head of state signed a decree setting the general elections for November 23, instead of the previously announced date of November 30.

Citing Guinea-Bissau’s electoral law, which mandates that elections be held between October 23 and November 25 to avoid the rainy season, the President stated that he scheduled the vote “in accordance with the country’s laws.” He emphasized that “the government organizes the elections,” while “the President of the Republic, in line with national laws, only issues the decree to set the date.” He added that the only remaining step had been to “coordinate with legally constituted political parties.”

The election timeline in Guinea-Bissau has faced repeated shifts amid a deepening political crisis. Initially slated for December 2024, the presidential elections were postponed following Embaló’s dissolution of parliament in December 2023. The parliamentary elections, which had been scheduled for that period, were subsequently canceled, creating further uncertainty over the country’s political future.

Embalo’s Mandate in Question

Embalo’s five-year term officially ended on February 28, 2025, but he has yet to vacate office. Domingos Simões Pereira, leader of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), has insisted that Embaló must step down immediately. However, the president appears determined to retain power, maintaining control over governance and decision-making through his appointed cabinet.

A former brigadier general, Embaló previously served as Guinea-Bissau’s prime minister from 2016 to 2018. Originally a member of the PAIGC, he later aligned himself with the MADEM G15 group, a breakaway faction. His political maneuvering has drawn criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who accuse him of attempting to consolidate power unconstitutionally.

Hopes for a peaceful resolution to the crisis have been further dampened by the failure of mediation efforts led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). A high-level delegation, headed by Nigerian diplomat Bagudu Hirse, visited Bissau when Embaló’s mandate expired, seeking to broker a political transition. However, the mission ended abruptly, with ECOWAS officials alleging that Embaló threatened to expel them before departing for a visit to Russia.

The setback has raised concerns about the regional bloc’s effectiveness in enforcing democratic norms. “ECOWAS is very weak right now. It cannot enforce its own rules,” said Bubacar Ture, a lawyer and chairman of the Bissau-Guinean Human Rights League.

As Guinea-Bissau approaches its revised election date, uncertainty looms over whether the political impasse will be resolved through democratic means or if further instability lies ahead. Observers warn that the ongoing crisis threatens to undermine not only the country’s governance but also regional stability in West Africa.