Guinea-Bissau’s Supreme Court has barred the country’s main opposition coalition, Pai Terra Ranka, from contesting in the upcoming legislative elections, citing late submission of candidate lists.
The coalition, an alliance of 10 smaller parties led by former Prime Minister Domingos Simões Pereira, missed the September 25 deadline by failing to submit names 72 hours in advance, according to court officials. Pereira said the group will seek further clarification on the ruling.
Pereira, who also filed his candidacy for the presidency last week, is set to challenge incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
The two men were rivals in the 2019 presidential race, which Embaló won amid controversy.
Since taking power, Embaló, a former army general who survived an attempted coup in February 2024, has faced criticism for consolidating authority and restricting civic freedoms.
He twice dissolved parliament, in 2022 and 2023, delaying elections and deepening political instability in the West African nation.
