At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Guinea-Bissau

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Acting President Manuel Serifo NHAMADJO[1]
• Head of Government: Acting Prime Minister Rui Duarte BARROS
• Assembly: Guinea-Bissau has a unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular) with 102 seats.[2]

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.

Election Note:

• This election was originally scheduled for 24 November 2013 but was delayed several times for financial and logistical reasons. ECOWAS, the EU, and Timor-Leste have pledged US$30 million for the elections and urged the government to keep to the new timetable. Guinea-Bissau’s chronic instability and periodic military coups have severely hindered economic development in the country as foreign investors and international donors have been forced to suspend their engagement. This presidential election will be accompanied by parliamentary elections that will restore the permanent legislature, the People’s National Assembly, which was dissolved in the aftermath of the coup in 2012. Of the 21 candidates who declared their intention to run in the presidential election, 13 were approved by the Supreme Court. Among those disqualified was former President Mohamed IÁLA Embaló.

Candidates in the electoral race:

• José Mario VAZ
  • Party: African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde / Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC)
• Abel INCANDA
  • Party: Social Renewal Party / Partido para a Renovação Social (PRS)
• Antonio AFONSO TÉ
  • Party: Republican Party for Independence and Development / Partido Republicano para Independência e Desenvolvimento (PRID)
• Iaia DJALO
  • Party: New Democracy Party / Partido da Nova Democracia (PND)
• Cirilo RODRIGUES de Oliveira
  • Party: Socialist Party / Partido Socialista da Guiné-Bissau (PS-GB)
• Ibraima SORY DJALÓ
  • Party: National Reconciliation Party / Partido da Reconciliação Nacional (PRN)
• Aregado MANTENQUE TÉ
  • Party: Workers’ Party / Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT)
• Paul GOMES
  • Independent
• Helder VAZ Lopes
  • Independent
• Nuno Gomes NABIAM
  • Independent
• Domingos QUADE
  • Independent
• George MALÚ
  • Independent
• Luis NANCASSA
  • Independent

Last election:

• The last presidential election in Guinea-Bissau was held on March 18, 2012, after the death of President Malam Bacai SANHÁ. Carlos Domingos GOMES Júnior won the election with 154,797 votes (48.97%). Mohamed IÁLA Embaló came in second place with 73,842 votes (23.36%), followed by Manuel Serifo NHAMADJO (49,767 votes, 15.74%), Henrique PERERIA Rosa (17,070 votes, 5.4%), Braima DJALO (10,298 votes, 3.26%), and Aregado MANTENQUE Té (3,300 votes, 1.04%). Voter turnout was 53%. A runoff between GOMES and IALA was set to be held on April 29, but was cancelled after a military coup on April 12. On May 11, 2012, Manuel Serifo NHAMADJO was named Acting President.

Population and Voter Registration:

• Population: 1,800,513 (2014)
• Registered Voters: 400,000 (Dec 2013 est.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 906,753 (2014)

·         Is Guinea-Bissau a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Guinea-Bissau ratified CEDAW: Yes (23 August 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 14 (following the 2014 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 178 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Guinea-Bissau a signatory to CRPD: Yes (24 September 2013)

·         Has Guinea-Bissau ratified CRPD: Yes (24 September 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 270,076 (est.)