19 June – The political, economic and security situation in Guinea-Bissau has worsened, raising questions of the feasibility of proceeding with next month's elections, a top United Nations envoy told the Security Council today.
The UN Department of Political Affairs - after a mission earlier this month to assess the electoral preparations in Guinea-Bissau - determined that it was not technically feasible for the elections to be held on 6 July, David Stephen, the Head of the UN Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), told the Council in an open briefing.
"While the President has concurred with the views that the polling date cannot be maintained, he has yet to announce publicly that the elections will be postponed and that a new calendar of electoral activities was under consideration," Mr. Stephen noted.
Briefing the Council members on the latest report of Secretary-General Kofi Annan covering the developments in Guinea-Bissau and the activities of UNOGBIS, he said although the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has continued to provide technical assistance to the National Electoral Commission, "many donors have conditioned financial support for the elections on the creation by the Government of propitious conditions for credible elections."
Mr. Stephen added that UNOGBIS would be prepared to coordinate international observation, should conditions on the ground be conducive for free and fair elections. Presently, the overall situation in Guinea-Bissau had deteriorated.
"The opposition continued to accuse the Government of restrictions of civil liberties," he told Council members. "The 'caretaker' Government continues in office, while the National Assembly remains dissolved. Judicial institutions continue to be weak."
The Chair of the Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) Advisory Group on Guinea Bissau, South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, said "the country might be sliding back towards chaos and even conflict after waiting several months for parliamentary elections already previously postponed."
Ambassador Kumalo welcomed next week's joint visit to Guinea-Bissau by members of the Council and of the Advisory Group, stating, "That would convey a collective message that there was a wish to strengthen the confidence between the country's people and their international partners."
The country's Ambassador to the UN, Luzeria dos Santos Jalo, appealed to the international community not to give up on helping her people and Government to find their way out of the profound crisis. The political, economic and social situation in the country remains of great concern, she said.
Ambassador dos Santos Jalo also welcomed some recommendations in the Secretary-General's report. In addition, she acknowledged the Government's need to do more to improve security in order to move to development and peace, but pointed out that if everyone waited until all was in place for elections, the country would continue to suffer in the meantime.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
