The stakes are high in the upcoming general elections of Guinea-Bissau. Success of the exercise could finally put the tiny West African country on the road to political stability. Failure, on the other hand, would likely sentence it to more years of restiveness.
The polls were originally set last November but were postponed due to logistical and funding problems prompting the international community to air its concern that it finally pushes through on March 16 of this year. This would be the first democratic polls in the country still reeling from a military takeover in 2012 and many are anxious that the polls are not delayed any further.
Amid the fears, however, interim president Serifo Nhamadjo has pledged to check the peace and order situation until constitutional order has been restored. For the large part, he seems to be succeeding as evidenced by increased cooperation between the transitional government and groups that hold considerable sway in the affairs of the country such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPSP), and the United Nations.
