Speaking at his campaign headquarters in Bissau on Monday, Dias said he had won more than half of all ballots cast in Sunday’s vote, insisting that the country would not be heading for a second round. His early declaration adds to political tension in a nation long familiar with instability and military intervention.
This year’s election is the first in which the PAIGC, the historic party that led Guinea Bissau’s independence struggle, was barred from participating. The party instead backed Dias, giving his campaign a significant boost. Dias, 47, represents the Party for Social Renewal and has risen rapidly in the polls since receiving the endorsement of former prime minister Domingos Simões Pereira, the PAIGC leader who finished second in the disputed 2019 presidential race.
Dias is challenging President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, 53, a former army general seeking to become Guinea Bissau’s first leader in thirty years to win re election. Analysts had expected a close fight between the two candidates, with both drawing strong support from different political blocs.
According to the national electoral commission, turnout surpassed sixty five per cent on Sunday, and provisional results are scheduled for release on Thursday. Neither the commission nor the president’s office has responded to Dias’s self declared victory, leaving the country waiting for the official tally.