Guinea-Bissau: Portugal to send 16 tons of election materials

Portugal will send on Tuesday to Guinea-Bissau about 16 tons of electoral material for the legislative elections to be held on June 4, announced today by the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A press statement explains that sending electoral material is done “under the electoral cooperation between Portugal – through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Administration – and Guinea-Bissau, and the transport is ensured by civil flight also supported by the Portuguese State.”

“The Portuguese contribution includes ballot papers, constituent and tabulation minutes, ballot dump sheets, voter lists, protest and complaint forms, and other material necessary for the elections, which will be delivered to the Guinean authorities by the Portuguese ambassador in Bissau,” the statement said.

The electoral material that will be sent is estimated at €290,000, and Portugal provides “an additional contribution of €250,000.”

“Both contributions fall within the international efforts that have been carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),” the note explains.

The ministry led by João Gomes Cravinho said that Portugal has made available at the end of 2022, at the request of the Guinean authorities, an extraordinary amount of €5 million for the General State Budget of Guinea-Bissau “to address the worsening of the international economic and financial situation, aiming to strengthen the support of Portuguese cooperation in the areas of education and health, as well as strengthening democracy, particularly by supporting the conduct of electoral processes.”

“Portugal recognizes the importance of the legislative elections on June 4 in Guinea-Bissau for the political life and development of the country,” concludes the press release.

Two coalitions and 20 political parties started on May 13 the electoral campaign for the seventh legislative elections on June 4, after the Guinean parliament was dissolved on May 18, 2022.

The electoral campaign in Guinea-Bissau will run until June 2.

With information from Lusa

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