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                Guinea-Bissau Prepares for Presidential Run-Off

   by Anne Look

   Guinea-Bissau is headed to a presidential run-off election next month
   that will pit the candidate of the ex-ruling party against an
   independent seen as having strong support in the military.

   Electoral Commission President Augusto Mendes announced the provisional
   results of Sunday's presidential and parliamentary elections.

   Jose Mario Vaz got just over 40 percent of votes. He will now advance
   to a run-off election against the second-place finisher, Nuno Gomes
   Nabiam, who garnered 25 percent of votes.

   Vaz is the candidate of the PAIGC, the country's largest political
   party. He is a former finance minister who also served as mayor of the
   capital, Bissau.

   Nabiam broke off from the country's second largest party, the PRS, to
   run as an independent candidate. He is the former head of the civil
   aviation authority and is seen as the military's candidate. He was also
   backed by ex-president Kumba Yala who died earlier this month.

   Soldiers disrupted the country's last attempt at a presidential run-off
   in April 2012 when it looked like the PAIGC candidate, ex-prime
   minister Carlos Gomes Jr., would defeat Yala.  Gomes had pledged to
   reform the military. He remains in exile in Portugal.

   Guinea-Bissau voted in the calm Sunday. International observers saluted
   what they said was high voter turnout. The Electoral Commission hasn't
   yet released that number.

   Provisional results show the PAIGC dominating the parliamentary vote,
   winning 55 seats out of a total 100. The PRS came in a close second
   with 41 seats.

   Candidates have 48 hours to contest results. Authorities are then
   expected to publish final results within the week.

   The presidential run-off election will be set for 21 days after the
   publication of first round final results.

   Lassana Cassama reported from Bissau.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/guinea-bissau-heads-toward-presidenti
   al-run-off/1895269.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/guinea-bissau-heads-toward-presidential-run-off/1895269.html