Guinea-Bissau: President Dissolves Parliament After Failed Coup
The Facts
Guinea-Bissau's Pres. Umaro Sissoco Embalo on Monday dissolved the country's opposition-dominated parliament following what he described as an "attempted coup d'etat" last week.
Embalo argued that "complicity" between the National Guard and "certain political interests within the State apparatus" had made it impossible for the state's institutions to function normally, adding a date for legislative elections will be "set at the opportune moment, in line with the constitution."
The Spin
Narrative A
The forcible release of senior government officials by the parliament-controlled National Guard not only jeopardized national security but also amounted to a failed coup attempt. As certain elements of parliament preferred to protect members of the executive suspected of corruption rather than ensure the application of the law, Pres. Embalo had no choice but to dissolve parliament. Guinea-Bissau will only achieve stability if the constitutional principles of democracy are respected.
Narrative B
While Embalo senses a conspiracy to overthrow him, it's he who is carrying out a constitutional coup d'état by dissolving the opposition-controlled parliament. Since the legislature can't be dissolved less than a year after its election, Embalo has already used alleged cases of corruption in the past to disempower parliament and abolish the semi-presidential system. The people of Guinea-Bissau deserve a president who respects the principle of separation of powers and rejects a dictatorship.
