Guinea-Bissau votes to elect president

VOTERS in coup-prone Guinea-Bissau cast their ballots yesterday to pick a new president, hoping to turn the page on endemic political turmoil despite the main opposition party being barred from the race.

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Around 860 000 voters will choose between 12 presidential candidates, with stability a major issue given the multiple political crises that have rocked the west African nation since independence from Portugal in 1974, including four coups and numerous attempted coups.

At the top of the list of demands for many is improved living conditions, including better health care, education and infrastructure.

Guinea-Bissau’s population of some 2.2 million is also calling for more jobs and reforms to combat poverty, corruption and drug trafficking.

With nearly 40% of the population living in extreme poverty, Guinea-Bissau is among the world’s poorest countries.

It is also a hub for drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe, a trade fuelled by the country’s long history of political instability.