Guinea-Bissau: Military Seizes Power Amid Election Chaos

Guinea-Bissau finds itself in another political storm. This time, the military has taken control, stopping the count of votes from a recent presidential election. The opposition is not happy. They want the results out. They believe the military should not interfere with democracy. The military calls itself "The High Military Command for the Restoration of Order. " They say they have removed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. This is not new for Guinea-Bissau. The country has a history of military takeovers. Since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974, there have been at least nine coups or attempted coups. The election was between Embalo and Fernando Dias. Dias is a newcomer to politics. He was challenging Embalo. The opposition, backing Dias, wants the election results released. They say the military should let democracy work. The capital, Bissau, was quiet on Thursday. Soldiers were on the streets. Many people stayed indoors. Businesses and banks were closed. The election commission said soldiers shut down their offices. They could not announce any results. Before the military announcement, gunfire was heard near the election headquarters and the presidential palace. Embalo called French media to say he had been removed. He was missing on Thursday. The military did not say if they had him. Dias accused Embalo of faking a coup to stop the election. He thinks Embalo was afraid of losing. The opposition also wants the release of Domingos Simoes Pereira. He is a former prime minister. He was detained on Wednesday. Guinea-Bissau is known for drug trafficking. It is a hub for cocaine going to Europe. Under Embalo, the drug trade seemed to grow. A report said it might be more profitable than ever. Election observers from the African Union and ECOWAS expressed concern. They said officials in charge of the election were arrested. They called for their release. Goodluck Jonathan, a former Nigerian president, was observing the vote. He was not reachable on Thursday. A Liberian senator, Edwin Snowe, left the country on Tuesday. He could not reach other observers since Wednesday. The military's actions raise questions. Will they let democracy continue? Or will they keep control? The world is watching Guinea-Bissau closely.