23 May 2014 We kick off with the report that Guinea Bissau has successfully conducted its Presidential run off elections. Former Finance Minister Jose Mario Vaz who was the candidate for the dominant African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde took 61.9 percent of the votes while his opponent Nuno Gomes Nabiam, an independent candidate, gathered 38.1 percent.
Guinea-Bissau’s last election in 2012 was abandoned after a military takeover and Sunday’s election marked the end of a transitional government following the military takeover. These elections will also help Guinea Bissau to restore relationships with both its regional and international partners.
Turnout for the election was 78.1 percent, down from the nearly 90 percent recorded in last month’s first round vote and election observers from both the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS and the European Union say that voting was transparent.
Mr Vaz is quoted as saying “The time has come to turn the page and opt for a policy of inclusion in Guinea-Bissau without religious or tribal discrimination in order to lead a crusade, together, against poverty,”
All that is left is for Guinea-Bissau’s supreme court to validate the results before they become official.