Friday 26th October, 2018
In a joint communique, the three bodies urged
all stakeholders to work towards creating the necessary conditions for
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua/GNA) – The
Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United
Nations on Thursday urged Guinea-Bissau to hold its upcoming legislative
elections on time and under the “conditions of transparency, regularity
and credibility”.
In a joint communique, the three bodies urged
all stakeholders to work towards creating the necessary conditions for the
smooth running of the electoral process.
The West African country is set to hold the
elections of its People’s National Assembly on Nov.18. But there have been
talks of delaying the polls to allow for more time for voter registration.
The three organizations also call upon African
countries and the international community as a whole to mobilize the resources
and logistical means required for the holding of the electoral process.
The elections will “constitute a
milestone in consolidating the gains achieved in Guinea-Bissau. In this
context, the support of the international community remains more necessary than
ever”, the communique said.
In late August, Jose Viegas Filho, the special
representative of the secretary-general for Guinea-Bissau, said at UN
Headquarters that the preparation for the elections had met some difficulties.
The problems, he said, included disagreements
voiced by some political actors against the 30-day timeframe set by the
government for voter registration, when the law stipulates a 90-day period for
the process, and delays in arrival of biometric kits.
GNA