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The leading opposition figure in Guinea-Bissau formally submitted his candidacy for the presidential election set for November to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, positioning himself for a likely rematch against the current president of the West African nation.
Domingos Simões Pereira, a former prime minister and head of the PAIGC party, which played a pivotal role in the former Portuguese colony’s fight for independence, returned to Guinea-Bissau last Friday after a nine-month absence abroad due to concerns for his safety and ongoing legal troubles.
Pereira, who leads the main opposition coalition Pai Terra Ranka, comprising approximately 10 political parties, is the second individual to officially announce his intention to run.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo submitted his application on Monday.
The two leaders faced off as primary adversaries in the 2019 presidential election, with Pereira challenging the outcome of his loss.
“The Pai-Terra Ranka coalition has just submitted its presidential candidacy and the list of candidates for the legislative elections”, one of Pereira’s representatives, Agnelo Regala, said.
Before his return to Guinea-Bissau, Pereira communicated to supporters in Portugal that he was coming back to lead a “democratic struggle.”
He had previously announced on social media his plans to run for the presidency and aimed to meet the September 26 deadline to file his application.
Embalo took the oath of office for a five-year term in February 2020 as the leader of the nation, which was grappling with instability. However, Embalo postponed the elections to November 2025, citing logistical and funding challenges.
Pereira and his fellow opposition leaders argue that the president’s five-year term has thus expired.
Guinea-Bissau has experienced four coups since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, with the last occurring in 2012, and there have been a total of 17 attempted coups.
