Ally of ousted Guinea-Bissau leader is named premier

Soldiers in Guinea-Bissau on Friday appointed a close ally of the deposed president as prime minister, after seizing power following disputed national elections earlier this week.

- BY ASSANA SAMBU AND MARK BANCHEREAU

The country’s new military leader, Gen. Horta Inta-a, announced the appointment of Finance Minister Ilidio Vieira Te as prime minister in a decree.

Vieira Te is a close ally of the deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, having served as his party’s campaign director during the legislative election Sunday.

Soldiers seized power Wednesday, three days after the closely contested presidential election in which Embaló and rival Fernando Dias both claimed victory.

The opposition said Embaló had “fabricated” the coup to avoid an election defeat. The military takeover and the reported arrest of Embaló were carried out to disrupt the election results, according to Dias.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who was in Guinea-Bissau during the military takeover as the head of the West African Elders Forum election mission observer group, accused Embaló on Friday of staging a “ceremonial coup” to stay in power.

“A military doesn’t take over governments and allow the sitting president that they overthrew to address press conferences and announce that he has been arrested,” Jonathan told reporters.