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.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• In the People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular) 102 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.[3]

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.
• The first round of voting was held on April 13, 2014. Thirteen candidates participated in the presidential election, with no candidate receiving an absolute majority. As a result, a second round of voting will be held on May 18, 2014 to determine the winner. Jose Mario VAZ, candidate for the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde           / Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC) and ex-finance minister of Guinea-Bissau, received the most votes in the election, receiving 252,269 votes (40.98 percent). Nuno Gomes NABIAM, an independent candidate and former head of the civil aviation authority finished second. NABIAM was backed by the leader of the leading opposition party, the Party for Social Renewal / Partido para a Renovação Social (PRS), former President Kumba YALA.

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)
• Nuno Gomes NABIAM
  • 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: Yes

·         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.)